NCAA Tournament Tidbits: 03.20.15 Edition
Posted by Griffin Wong on March 20th, 2015
March Madness is finally upon us, and we here at RTC are here to make everything a little bit easier for you. From the First Four until One Shining Moment, we’ll be dropping daily tidbits of knowledge regarding the teams in each region.
Midwest Region
The Wildcats Keep on Keepin’ On… (USA Today Images)
- Another game, another victory, and Kentucky is 35-0.
- Cincinnati is notorious for grinding it out, but it took an incredible shot from Troy Caupain to force overtime and eventually beat Purdue.
- West Virginia will be one of the toughest tests Buffalo has had all season long. So, what are the Bulls focusing on? WVU’s press. “That [the press] is a great formula for winning a lot of basketball games and they don’t stop, they keep coming at you,” coach Bobby Hurley noted.
- Many members of the media have been asking West Virginia coach Bob Huggins about his past NCAA experiences, but he’s trying his best to stay present. Huggins: “I don’t look backwards. I don’t have a rear view mirror. I just look forward.”
- Maryland being back in the NCAA Tournament is a big deal, but coach Mark Turgeon is trying to keep his team loose. With dunk contests and half-court shot contests, it seems like Turgeon is doing a good job.
- Notre Dame was almost the third #3 seed to go down on Thursday, but the Irish avoided the upset with a two-point win against Northeastern. A popular pick to advance to the Elite Eight before the NCAA Tournament, should the Irish faithful be concerned?
- Staying true to its reputation, Butler won ugly yesterday. The Bulldogs may not have earned any “style points,” but a win is a win.
- Wichita State may get great scoring from its guards, but what Indiana is concerned about is the Shockers’ toughness. Relentless on defense and the boards, the Shockers are a pain for anyone to face.
- Injured in the Big Ten Tournament, Indiana will be looking to get a boost from a (hopefully) healthy Hanner Mosqueda-Perea. It’s not set in stone, but Mosqueda-Perea would be a huge upgrade to the Hoosiers’ front court.
- With today’s game on the horizon, Kansas Attorney General Derek Smith and New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas, have been going at it.
West Region
- Wisconsin may not play the flashiest style, but coach Bo Ryan has a track record of success doing things his way.
- Oregon may have a lot of new faces on the roster, but this team can play. Here’s some more in-depth information on the Ducks.
- Oklahoma State didn’t come into the season with high expectations, but the Cowboys begin March play as a #9 seed against Oregon. Travins Ford’s team has been up and down this season, but nobody knows better than he that the past is the past: “We haven’t played or probably succeeded as well as we’d like here lately, but this is a brand-new opportunity for our basketball team.’’
- Arkansas staved off Wofford last night, no thanks to the Razorbacks’ footwear.
- The Tar Heels had a big lead for most of the night but they were barely able to hold off Harvard yesterday. It’s safe to say that North Carolina feels fortunate that it won that game. In fact, according to coach Roy Williams, it was the “luckiest I’ve ever felt after a basketball game in my entire life.”
- Ole Miss had a great win on Tuesday, but Xavier was simply too solid for an exhausted Rebels squad to take down.
- For Georgia State’s RJ Hunter, hitting yesterday’s late three-pointer to beat Baylor was his “shining moment.”
- Ohio State has been inconsistent all season, but All-American D’Angelo Russell has the ability to “carry” the Buckeyes deep into March.
- Arizona wasn’t messing around yesterday as it made quick work of Texas Southern. “I know we won by a big margin,” [coach Sean] Miller said. “But we have high aspirations, and in this tournament, you don’t get a second chance.”
East Region
BeeJay Anya’s Shot Sent NC State to the Third Round (USA Today Images)
- Though Villanova had plenty respect to give to Lafayette before the Tourney started, the Wildcats came out and took care of business yesterday.
- It looked like it was going to roll off the rim, but BeeJay Anya‘s jump hook at the buzzer sent NC State to the next round over LSU.
- Northern Iowa may be a “mid-major,” but as a #5 seed, you can bet that they aren’t thinking like one.
- Wyoming’s Larry Nance Jr. seemingly came out of nowhere after an illness sidelined him to just one year of high school basketball. In this manner, Nance almost resembles his Friday opponent, Seth Tuttle, who came from a town nearly too small to even notice.
- Louisville may be favored, but UC Irvine has a weapon that not even the Cardinals can counter: 7’6” center Mamadou Ndiaye.
- Dayton just had a home game and the Flyers will get a game in nearby Columbus today. Despite the close proximity to Dayton, Providence isn’t too concerned. Friars coach Ed Cooley had this to say: “If we’re worried about what Dayton’s doing, we’re not concentrating on what Providence is doing.”
- Both Oklahoma and Albany are looking to do more than just win a single game in the NCAA Tournament this season. The Sooners haven’t won an NCAA Tournament game since Blake Griffin was in Norman, and Albany hasn’t done much more in its history than advance out of the First Four a few years ago.
- Georgia guard Kenny Gaines won’t be at full strength but he will be on the court today when the Bulldogs take on Michigan State. “Not an ideal situation, but he’s a tough kid,” [coach Mark] Fox said.
- Michigan State seems to be the trendy pick, but how will the Spartans handle a sneaky talented Georgia team?
- Virginia simply didn’t look the same without the bouncy junior Justin Anderson in the lineup. Anderson has been recovering from a broken finger and an appendectomy, but in order to make a deep run, the Cavaliers are going to need Anderson at his early-season form when he was a contender for All-American status.
South Region
- Though Duke hasn’t been completely dominant this year, a deja vu of sorts could lead one to believe that the Blue Devils have a good shot at the title.
- With an already thin front line, St. John’s could have a tough time today without suspended rim protector Chris Obekpa.
- Friday’s matchup against St. John’s appears to be a competitive one, but will San Diego State‘s NCAA Tournament experience help lead it to a victory?
- Despite a valiant effort from well-respected Stephen F. Austin, Utah was able to hold off the upset bid.
- Eastern Washington coach Jim Hayford had a lot to say before yesterday’s game against Georgetown, but ultimately it was the Hoyas who got the last laugh, as they surged in the second half to a ten point victory.
- In what could turn out to be the controversial decision of the Tournament, UCLA defeated SMU much in part to an apparently missed three that was actually called a goaltend on the Mustangs. Missed it? No problem. Click here and decide for yourself!
- UAB pulled off the stunner of yesterday against Iowa State. However, here‘s why the Blazers’ cinderella story may come to an end this weekend.
- For Davidson coach Bob McKillop, making coaching a “family affair” by hiring his son Matt has been beneficial for both of them.
- The premier program in the Pacific Northwest, Gonzaga is looking to get a raucous home court advantage tonight in Seattle.
