NCAA Tournament Tidbits: 03.31.11
Posted by Brian Goodman on March 31st, 2011Throughout the NCAA Tournament, we’ll be providing you with the daily chatter from around the webosphere relating to what’s going on with the teams still playing.
Butler
- It seems like head coach Brad Stevens is getting as much attention for his glasses as he is for his coaching. Stevens is drawing comparisons to Clark Kent due to this look.
- “The Butler Way” consists of team-first basketball and an emphasis on defense. One columnist argues that it represents all that is right with sports.
- Cleveland State head coach Gary Waters believes that Horizon League foe Butler has a legitimate chance of winning the National Championship. Waters’ Vikings have dropped 11 of 13 meetings to the Bulldogs, including three this season.
- Point guard Shelvin Mack didn’t have the easiest childhood, but the assistance that he received from many people in his life has made reaching back-to-back Final Fours possible. It is tough not to root for a kid like Mack.
- Former Bulldog and current Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward acknowledged that he has never second-guessed his decision to leave Butler early and enter the NBA Draft. Hayward also made sure to note that he is pulling hard for the Bulldogs to cut down the nets on Monday evening.
Connecticut
- Much has been made of Kemba Walker‘s spectacular season and Jeremy Lamb‘s breakout in the tournament, but Jamal Coombs-McDaniel and Alex Oriakhi share a bond that goes back to before Walker even set foot in campus.
- Houston has been good to UConn during Jim Calhoun‘s tenure, as the city was home to Jake Voskuhl, Emeka Okafor and Hasheem Thabeet before the three players made their respective trips up to Storrs. The Huskies are looking for Houston to give them another great memory.
- Youth will dominate Saturday’s semifinal between Connecticut and Kentucky, with a probable six freshmen combined in the two teams’ starting lineups.
- If UConn is the last team standing in Houston, one question sure to be asked surrounds Jim Calhoun’s future with the university. And if the end of his coaching career is nigh, who might succeed him? Former Husky player and current assistant Kevin Ollie might lead that list.
- More hardware rolls in for Kemba Walker, who was named the recipient of the Bob Cousy Award as college basketball’s top point guard, beating out Nolan Smith, Norris Cole, Jordan Taylor and Jimmer Fredette.
