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.

South Region

• Dayton’s Cinderella run ended on last night, as the Flyers fell to the top-seeded Florida Gators.
• With Dayton hanging around well into the first half, Florida senior Scottie Wilbekin led the Gators to victory yet again.
• Florida center Patric Young bounced back from a rough outing against UCLA to give the Gators a huge boost in its win over Dayton. Young added 12 points and 6 rebounds, but his presence was felt mostly on the defensive end, where he had 4 blocks.
• Florida has been a mainstay in the Elite Eight for the past four years, but the Gators finally got over the hump and into the Final Four last night.
• Florida coach Billy Donovan has built a great team from top to bottom. Though the Gators don’t have anyone who is a surefire first round draft pick, they remain favorites to win it all.
• Florida and its players insist that this team is different than the other the Gator teams of the past three season that fell short of the Final Four. As we found out last night, they were right.

West Region

• Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan’s first Final Four berth was bittersweet, as it happened on his late father’s birthday. Last night, Ryan honored his father in with a victory in dramatic fashion.
• Wisconsin advanced to the Final Four last night after Arizona’s Nick Johnson was unable to get a last-second shot off in overtime.
• With last night’s win, Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan was able to shed the label of (arguably) the best coach in college basketball without a Final Four.
• Arizona’s hopes were almost completely dashed after Nick Johnson was called for a charge, giving Wisconsin the ball back. According to Sean Miller, it was just a “really, really tough call.”
• Yet again, Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky pushed the Badgers to victory. Kaminsky finished the night with 28 points and 11 rebounds, and was the only Wisconsin player who Arizona could not find a way to stop.
• Arizona had been anchored by its defense all season, but it was that same defense that let the Wildcats down last night.

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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.

South Region

• Though he’s usually not mentioned in the same breath as coaches like Bill Self, Mike Krzyzewski, or Rick Pitino, Florida coach Billy Donovan is working his way towards greatness.
• Much of Florida senior Scottie Wilbekin‘s impact has been made in crunch time. Wilbekin’s emergence as “a closer” will pivotal for Florida down the stretch.
• As the number one overall seed, Florida is looking to avoid being Dayton’s next upset victim.
• Dayton entered the tournament as the team that had a puncher’s chance to take out its in-state rival, but now it is no longer “flying under the radar.”
• Dayton shouldn’t be considered a “giant killer.” The Flyers believe that they should be here.
• Teams that make unlikely NCAA Tournament runs usually have a guy or two that can carry the team, but Dayton is different. With 11+ guys in the rotation, the Flyers have serious depth.

West Region

• Though he has yet to reach a Final Four, Arizona coach Sean Miller is “knocking again” on its doorstep.
• Arizona has size, athleticism, and length, but point guard TJ McConnell was the “final piece to the puzzle.”
• Arizona coach Sean Miller once showed off his dribbling skills as a nine year old at Wisconsin, and now he’s going up against one of the assistants coaches of that team, Bo Ryan, with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
• On his father’s birthday, Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan hopes to honor his late hero by reaching his first Final Four.
• This year’s Wisconsin team has one of the best offenses Madison has ever seen, but can the Badgers break through one of the best defense’s in the country tonight?
• Wisconsin seven-footer Frank Kaminsky’s emergence has been crucial to Wisconsin’s Elite Eight run. Kaminsky went from 4.2 points per game and 1.8 rebounds per game to 13.7 and 6.2 respectively.

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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.

South Region

• Florida senior Scottie Wilbekin didn’t have the greatest shooting night, but when it came time to put a lingering UCLA team away, he delivered, like he has time and time again.
• In defeating UCLA, Florida has now reached a nearly unprecedented four straight Elite Eights.
• After last night’s loss to Florida, UCLA point guard Kyle Anderson decided to declare for the NBA Draft.
• Behind a balanced offensive attack with 11 different players scoring, Dayton advanced to its first Elite Eight since 1984 with a win over Stanford.
• Dayton coach Archie Miller and his brother Sean became the first brothers to coach two teams to an Elite Eight in the same season. Archie’s #11 seed Flyers are just one away from what would be an incredible Cinderella Final Four run.
• Stanford had the size, but Dayton’s quickness allowed the Flyers to outrun the Cardinal. The Cardinal’s season ends successfully, though, as it reached its first NCAA Tournament under Johnny Dawkins and its first Sweet Sixteen since 2008.

West Region

• San Diego State led for most of the game, but Arizona hung with the Aztecs and took control in the final minutes to reach the Elite Eight.
• Arizona’s Nick Johnson didn’t score until the 2:46 mark of the second half, but that layup sparked the Wildcats’ leading scorer to finish with 15 of the Wildcats’ last 16 points as they held off a tough San Diego State team.
• San Diego State’s season ended in disappointing fashion, but this season marked a sizable development in Aztec basketball. The Aztecs scratched the surface of the national stage, beating Kansas at Phog Allen and reaching #5 in the national rankings on its way to the Sweet Sixteen.
• Baylor made an impressive regular season turnaround and a dominant NCAA Tournament run, but its season ended last night in a “blowout loss” to Wisconsin.
• From start to finish, Wisconsin dominated Baylor in an offensive clinic to reach coach Bo Ryan’s second Elite Eight.
• Wisconsin reached the Elite Eight in impressive fashion last night, and did so in front of some high profile supporters, including Green Bay Packers quarterback and NFL star Aaron Rodgers.

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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.

South Region

• Despite a tough non-conference schedule, Florida is calling tonight’s game against UCLA its “toughest test yet.”
• Florida coach Billy Donovan is a proven commodity, and with no real pressure to succeed, he is “enjoying the ride.” However, after those comments, Donovan was sure to offer the disclaimer that he hasn’t lost his drive. Donovan added, “But I think, as I’ve gotten older — we all want to win. But for me, there’s a lot I’ve learned as it relates to life and as it relates to the drama of the NCAA tournament. What are these guys going to take from this experience, and how equipped are these guys to take the next step in their life?”
• With Kyle Anderson and Jordan Adams sharing the backcourt, Norman Powell often flies under the radar. Will that mean Florida won’t be ready for the high-flying, high-intensity guard?
• Despite futile history in the NCAA Tournament, UCLA coach Steve Alford is “all business” this year, barely allowing himself to celebrate his team’s berth in the Sweet Sixteen.
• Stanford’s Dwight Powell considered testing the NBA waters last summer, but stayed to fulfill his promise of graduating to his late mother. Stanford now finds itself just one game from the Elite Eight, and Powell has certainly played a significant part in that run.
• Tonight’s match-up between Stanford and Dayton will be tight, but can the Cardinal gain a huge advantage over the Flyers with all of its size?
• Dayton has accomplished a great deal to be playing in the Sweet Sixteen, but with #10 seed Stanford on deck, the Flyers have a legitimate chance to extend their Cinderella story.
• Dayton had the most wins  in college basketball during the 1950s and 1960s, and the Flyers look to create even more history for themselves tonight.

West Region

• Arizona is hoping big man Kaleb Tarczewski returns to school next season, but he wouldn’t budge when asked. “Zeus,” as they call him in Tucson, commented, “If [they] think I’m ready to go, I’ll go and if not, I’ll come back. Doesn’t matter now.”
• Without Brandon Ashley, Arizona has had to play a bit smaller. However, this has played to its advantage sometimes, particularly when it comes to getting out in transition.
• San Diego State was waiting to see whether it would play Arizona or Gonzaga in the Sweet Sixteen. Upon finding out its next game would be a rematch against Arizona, Aztecs guard Winston Shephard responded, “Gonzaga’s a great team, and no disrespect to them, but we would have much rather played Arizona.”
• San Diego State’s Aqueel Quinn took a huge risk trying to transfer and then walk-on to the team, but it has paid off through his hard work.
• Despite dominating its competition so far, Baylor isn’t getting the respect it deserves. As Dennis Dodd puts it, the Bears are “the best kept secret left in the tournament.”
• Baylor point guard Kenny Chery has been outstanding in his first season with the program, but could his lack of Division I experience end up hurting the Bears as the Tournament moves forward?
• If things get tight on Friday, know that Wisconsin point guard Traevon Jackson is going to want the ball, especially at the free throw line.
• Bo Ryan has coached Wisconsin into one of the most consistent basketball programs in the country; however, what his resume still lacks is a trip to the Final Four.

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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.

South Region

• Florida’s offense did anything but impress in its first two games, but senior point guard Scottie Wilbekin kept them afloat.
• Florida is as versatile of a team as there is left in the Tourney. With no one averaging more the 14 points per game, anyone can pick up the slack offensively, and defense is rarely a question.
• UCLA may be one of the toughest teams to defend in the country, but the Bruins’ defense is the reason they’re still playing.
• Air Force veteran and UCLA assistant coach David Grace did not go the traditional route, but he still will find himself on the bench in the Sweet Sixteen.
• For Dayton, the “continuity” of its coaching staff has been paramount to its success.
• Brothers Sean and Dayton coach Archie Miller are excited to both be in the Sweet Sixteen. However, the two find themselves in very different positions. Sean has Arizona looking like a title contender, and had this to say about his brother’s team: “With Dayton right now, it’s like icing on the cake every time he wins one. It’s really fun, and the program is just exploding right now.”
• Stanford has a good shot to make the Elite Eight and maybe the Final Four, but coach Johnny Dawkins needs the Cardinal to keep its head down. “We have to ignore the noise,” Dawkins said. “Everyone around us is going to be happy that we’ve had some success and we’re still moving on, but we can’t focus on that. We have to focus on the task at hand.”
• With programs like Kentucky and Kansas — which Stanford beat in the round of 32 — riding “1-and-dones,” the Cardinal has done it the old fashioned way, with five juniors and five seniors on its roster.

West Region

• Is Arizona already getting ahead of itself? The school’s bookstore is already selling Elite Eight shirts.
• To quote Greg Hansen, Arizona looked “national championship good” this weekend.
• He’s been their leader all season, and Xavier Thames’ big time play is the reason San Diego State has advanced through two tough games thus far.
  
• Aztecs coach Steve Fisher has had success at each of his stops as a coach, and has built San Diego State’s program from the ground up. On Thursday, he’ll have a chance to lead the Aztecs to their first Elite Eight appearance in school history.
• Very few people knew before two months ago, but Baylor center Isaiah Austin has been blind in his right eye since middle school. He has overcome this injury, and has gone from being unsure about his basketball future to playing in the Sweet Sixteen.
• Though you probably wouldn’t think so from general perception of the program, Baylor has actually been one of the best NCAA Tournament teams in terms of record since 2008.
• After really thinking about it, Wisconsin sophomore Sam Dekker realized how great of an accomplishment the Sweet Sixteen is. “You kind of throw around the term ‘Sweet Sixteen’ as just a cliché term,” Dekker said. “When you really think about it, only 16 teams are actually left. That’s not a big number in comparison to the 68 and then however many hundred are in regular D-I basketball.” The Badgers hope to reach the Elite Eight as they take on Baylor on Thursday.
• With a three-point specialist, athletic big men who can stretch the floor and a suffocating zone defense, Baylor plays like a team Wisconsin just hasn’t faced this year.

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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.

South Region

• Florida coach Billy Donovan and UCLA coach Steve Alford had a couple NCAA Tournament battles in the 90s, and they’ll meet again on Thursday.
• “Complete the Climb” is Florida’s motto as it looks to win its first national championship since they repeated in 2007. The Gators have reached three straight Elite Eights, but have been unable to “reach the summit” in all three opportunities.
• Florida big man Will Yeguete is the type of player every really good team has on the roster. He doesn’t necessarily fill up the box score or make flashy plays, but he’s what coach Billy Donovan calls a “dirty work guy.”
• The Gators present a recent adversary for UCLA. The Bruins have lost to Florida in three out of the last eight NCAA Tournaments, but the Bruains feel it’s time to get over the hump.
• UCLA guard Jordan Adams likes to keep things simple. One of the ways he does so is not letting his mind take control of him, even in big moments . “I don’t believe in pressure,” he says.
• After leading Dayton to a Sweet Sixteen, coach Archie Miller landed an extension that will keep him as head coach of the Flyers until 2019.
• The city of Dayton already hosts play-in games every year, so the university hopes that the Flyers’ success can put Dayton basketball even more on the map.
• The emergence of Stanford junior Stefan Nastic has done wonders for the Cardinal, giving it a legitimate post presence inside.
• Behind leading scorer Chasson Randle, the Cardinal is proving that it “belongs” among the Sweet Sixteen.
• Stanford may be an afterthought to advance out of the South Region, but head coach Johnny Dawkins is maintaining high hopes. “I think we all have a chance to compete for a national championship,” Dawkins said. “We have to believe that.”

West Region

• Arizona already defeated San Diego State this season, but this time, the Wildcats will have to prevent the Aztecs from making history. The Aztecs have never made an Elite Eight.
• Arizona’s leading scorer Nick Johnson was named a Naismith Player of the Year Finalist over the weekend.
• San Diego State has suffered a tough loss to Arizona in each of the past two regular seasons. They still hurt, but the Aztecs will at least have an idea of what to expect on Thursday evening.
• Looking to gain an advantage against an Arizona team that defeated the Aztecs in November, Aztecs coach Steve Fisher is “hiding a secret weapon” to unleash on Thursday.
• San Diego State junior Dwayne Polee II didn’t even register a minute in the Aztecs’ meeting with Arizona in November, but Polee has since worked his way into the rotation and has proved to be a big contributor to the Aztecs.
• Baylor was dead set for the NIT after starting 2-8 in Big 12 play, but the Bears finally “connected the dots” and now find themselves in the Sweet Sixteen.
• Read why Rick Gosselin thinks Baylor can make a Final Four run.
• Offensively, Wisconsin is trying to figure out how to score against Baylor’s long, athletic 1-3-1 zone.
• Wisconsin knows it has an athletic Baylor team ahead of it, but the Badgers hope to overcome that through their toughness. As forward Nigel Hayes notes, “Especially here, at Wisconsin, they pride themselves on being tougher than the opponent.”
• The Badgers know how dangerous Baylor is, so coach Bo Ryan has his team figuring out how to attack the more “skilled, athletic squad.”

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

South Region

• Shooting will fluctuate, but Florida has ridden defense to the Sweet Sixteen and hopefully beyond.
• Florida senior Scottie Wilbekin has had a troubled past in Gainesville, but he was willing to adhere to coach Billy Donovan’s strict rules in order to remain a member of the team. He now finds himself, nearly a year later, willing the Gators to the Sweet Sixteen in the midst of his teammates’ struggles.
• Though he has a shaky history in the NCAA Tournament, UCLA’s first year coach Steve Alford is already beginning to prove his doubters wrong as he led the Bruins to their first Sweet Sixteen appearance since 2008.
• UCLA ended Stephen F. Austin’s Cinderella run last night thanks in large part to the Bruins’ ability to get out and run. “They annihilated us in transition,” coach Brad Underwood added.
• Dayton’s run to the Sweet Sixteen was so thrilling that even the University’s president took part in the postgame celebration.
• Archie Miller was the first Miller to make the Sweet Sixteen after he led Dayton over Syracuse on Saturday, but even CBS’s Greg Gumble got him confused with his older brother, Sean, in an interview yesterday.
• Stanford wasn’t exactly a closely followed team by much of the country until yesterday’s upset over Kansas. However, the Cardinal showed those who were unsure that it was worthy of a Sweet Sixteen appearance.
• Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins used some experience from his playing days at Duke to get his players to fight for their Tournament lives. In recalling a story about a devastated teammate after losing his final game in a Duke uniform, Dawkins urged his players to play like they were all seniors.
• Notably absent from Kansas’s shocking third round defeat, freshman center Joel Embiid has yet to make a decision about his future in Lawrence. Embiid is a sure-fire top-five pick and could even go #1.

West Region

• Arizona blew by Gonzaga yesterday with an impressive array flashy plays, but what many fail to realize is that many those flashy plays are sparked by the Wildcats’ suffocating defense.
• Gonzaga is obviously disappointed about going down to Arizona, but coach Mark Few suggests that there really wasn’t much the Zags could do.
• With the West Regional being hosted in Anaheim, will  San Diego State get a bit of a home court advantage?
• San Diego State played Arizona tight earlier this season, but can the Aztecs hang with the Wildcats we saw last night?
• Baylor ended Creighton All-American Doug McDermott’s illustrious college career last night. Considering his father, Greg, was also his coach, it made for a quite emotional exit from college hoops.
• Baylor routed Creighton behind a barrage of three pointers. We know the Bears are long and athletic, but if they’re shooting the ball like they did last night (11/18, good for 61%), they’re going to be a handful for anyone in their path.
• Without many options out of high school, Baylor guard Kenny Chery resorted to junior college. After struggling through those two years, Chery now finds himself leading Baylor’s charge to the Sweet Sixteen.
• Heading into the Sweet Sixteen, Wisconsin has proven through its first two games that it can get the job done “at any speed.”
• Wisconsin overcame a tough Oregon team thanks to its grit, and the Badgers are going to need more of it if they want to get by a surging Baylor team.

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

South Region

• Naturally, the experienced Florida Gators were led by their seniors to a Sweet Sixteen berth.
• After a tough loss to Florida, Pittsburgh now must say goodbye to senior leaders Talib Zanna and Lamar Patterson.
  
• Dayton coach Archie Miller knows his team deserved to win, but even he knows that the Flyers were fortunate to catch Syracuse on an off night.
• In its third round loss to Dayton, Syracuse had a historically awful three-point shooting night.
• Stephen F. Austin’s Desmond Haymon is from a small town in Massachusetts, but made national headlines this week with “the play of the NCAA Tournament.”
• UCLA won a tight game in its second round match-up, and their road isn’t getting any easier with a tough Stephen F. Austin team on the horizon.
• Kansas will once again be without freshman big man Joel Embiid in their game today against Stanford.
• For a team that struggled to get into the NCAA Tournament, Stanford has a chance to make program history if it can score a win over #2 seed Kansas.

West Region

• Today, Gonzaga and #1 seed Arizona will relive a 2003 instant classic.
• Though they’re usually the cream of the mid-major crop, Gonzaga has little pressure on it going into its game against Arizona.
• North Dakota State coach Saul Phillips went as far as crying during his postgame press conference as the Bison’s NCAA journey ended yesterday.
• San Diego State’s Xavier Thames led the Aztecs with 30 points as they took down cinderella North Dakote State.
• Baylor point guard Kenny Chery hopes to lead the Bears past Doug McDermott and Creighton.
• Creighton will have to successfully deal with Baylor’s zone if it wants to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.
• Two-seed Wisconsin needed a furious second half rally to come out on top of Oregon yesterday.
• After blowing a big second half lead, Wisconsin arguably taught Oregon “an NCAA lesson.”

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

South Region

• Florida coach Billy Donovan has built an outstanding program, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t interested in the NBA.
• Florida is the number one overall seed, but one thing Pittsburgh will not be today is intimidated.
• Coach Shaka Smart was pleased with the effort, but ultimately VCU fell to Stephen F. Austin in the bizarre final moments.
• With a reputation for not getting it done in the NCAA Tournament, UCLA coach Steve Alford has gained some relief after pulling away from the near upset by Tulsa.
• VCU seemingly pulled away, but a four point play from Dezmond Haymon resurrected underdog Stephen F. Austin and brought them to victory.
• Syracuse’s defense is suffocating in the half court, so Dayton will be looking to make today’s game a track meet.
• Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim isn’t convinced that Dayton will be able to get up and down against the Orange. “The pace of the game,” Boeheim said, “is dictated by whoever has the basketball.”
• After scoring a huge win yesterday over New Mexico, Stanford is ready to pull off the upset against a most likely Embiid-less Kansas.
• For the second straight season, New Mexico’s season has ended in disappointing fashion. The Lobos were down 20-4 early, but couldn’t quite come all the way back.
• Kansas did not look good in their opening matchup, but eventually pulled away from Eastern Kentucky behind 19 from freshman sensation Andrew Wiggins.

West Region

• Weber State was with them for a while, but Arizona came to its senses and took down the other Wildcats.
• Potentially bound for the NBA, Oklahoma State sophomore Marcus Smart had his NCAA Tournament hopes crushed by Gonzaga yesterday. In particular, Smart was seemingly “frustrated” by the officials.
• Despite going up against a trendy “upset” pick, Gonzaga never trailed in its victory over Oklahoma State.
• Baylor nearly gave it up late, but the Bears ultimately held tough and took down Nebraska.
• Nebraska was frustrated by Baylor all day, and their struggles carried over to coach Tim Miles as he was ejected midway through the second half.
• Late three point shooting helped Doug McDermott and Creighton survive a scare against UL-Lafayette.
• As an underdog that pulled a huge upset, is North Dakota State “America’s team?”
• Even though San Diego State beat New Mexico State, coach Steve Fisher was angry at the NCAA for its policy of making the losing team fly home after a late-night loss.
• Oregon has reaped major benefits from transfers, but is this model sustainable?
• Wisconsin certainly comes into today’s game as the favorite, but Oregon’s athleticism could give the Badgers problems.

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

South Region

• Due to success on the hardwood and struggles on the gridiron, Florida is becoming more and more of a basketball school. The Gators advanced to the third round yesterday with a win over Albany.
• Colorado could have used their leading scorer Spencer Dinwiddie yesterday, as the Buffs were run out of the gym by Pittsburgh.
• Pittsburgh forward Talib Zanna dominated yesterday en route to a 77-48 rout of Colorado.
• It looks like Dayton now “owns Ohio college basketball” after a nail-biting win over its in-state rival Ohio State.
• Syracuse guard Trevor Cooney was able to find his stroke as the Orange rolled into the third round.
• VCU begins tournament play against Stephen F. Austin today. However, no matter how the Rams do, they’ll always have to live up to 2011 Final Four team.
• UCLA big men David and Travis Wear resemble a former UCLA forward who had great success in the NCAA Tournament: Ryan Hollins.
• Tulsa was only 4-9 going into January, but the Golden Hurricane battled back and now looks to pull off an upset over UCLA.
• New Mexico will have a chance for redemption after last year’s loss to Harvard, and don’t think the Lobos have forgotten about it.
• Without Joel Embiid, Kansas is coming into the tournament with an underdog mentality.

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