NCAA Tournament Tidbits: 03.20.12 Edition
Posted by Brian Goodman on March 20th, 2012
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.
South Region
- Ever since Bob Knight was dismissed, Indiana has struggled on the court and even had some problems off the court. In his fourth season as the Hoosiers’ head coach, Tom Crean has helped alleviate those issues, as he has Indiana back in the Sweet Sixteen since 2002.
- Kentucky head coach John Calipari and Indiana head coach Tom Crean are friends off the court. That is why Calipari is no fan of facing Crean on the hardwood. Friendship, you see, messes up competitive fire.
- ESPN analyst Dick Vitale believes that if both Kentucky and Baylor advance to the regional final, the Bears could pose a legitimate challenge for the Wildcats. Vitale believes that Baylor has the athletes to match Kentucky athletically.
- Xavier senior center Kenny Frease put up a career night against Lehigh when the Musketeers needed him most. If Frease can put up another fantastic night against Baylor, Xavier is going to be a tough out.
Midwest Region
- Fans and media aren’t the only ones caught up in great performances by major talent among the mid-major ranks. It was recently revealed that in 2010, Baylor coach Scott Drew and then-Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl allegedly contacted Ohio‘s D.J. Cooper about transferring, which would constitute NCAA violations if the allegations are true. It will be interesting to see whether the subject is raised during Baylor’s media session this week.
- Yahoo! Sports’ Pat Forde opines that even if North Carolina guard Kendall Marshall returns to the fold for a potential regional final, the odds are stacked heavily against the Heels.
- The Tar Heels’ aren’t the only team from the state recovering from some health concerns. N.C. State will face Kansas Friday, and C.J. Williams and C.J. Leslie are recovering from fatigue. The severity isn’t even comparable to North Carolina’s situation, but a few days of rest will be especially helpful to the Wolfpack.
- Basketball Prospectus’ C.J. Moore breaks down how Kansas topped Purdue on Sunday, from Elijah Johnson‘s fortitude to Bill Self‘s halftime adjustments.
- There are already two coaching vacancies in the Big Ten, and Ohio coach John Groce could fit the bill at either Nebraska or Illinois after the season. Groce’s Big Ten connections, when combined with his team’s head-turning performance this postseason, make him appealing to the Cornhuskers. Nebraska is a tough job, but with a heavy commitment to hoops, Athletic Director Tom Osborne could find a catch.
