We started out with Michigan State - Temple but the game wasn't competitive so they switched to Georgia - Xavier.
Georgia got out to a big early lead but blew it in the second half. I don't attribute this to fatigue. If they weren't fatigued playing two games in one day, or playing a game the day after they played two games in one day, then why were they fatigued after three days of rest? Xavier just turned up their defensive intensity and Georgia got stagnant on offense.
I also saw something you seldom see in a basketball game. After fouls on both ends between Billy Humphrey and I think Stanley Burrell, the ref pulled them aside, put his arms around them and basically told them to cut that shit out.
Kent State had 10 points in the first half, and 17 turnovers. 10 points tied a record for fewest in a half (shot-clock era) in the NCAA Tournament.
Kentucky - Marquette was a good game but Kentucky couldn't get over the hump. If a team is going to earn a come from behind victory they need to come all the way back and take the lead. UK had some chances but Marquette fought them off every time, on a few occassions nailing shots at the end of the shot clock to do it.
Joe Crawford was the best player I saw all day. He was unconscious, hitting everything from every angle and outscoring his teammates 35 to 31.
Washington State - Winthrop first half: 29-29
Washington State - Winthrop second half: 42-11
I was furious that CBS went with Duke - Belmont in my area instead of USC - Kansas State but as it turned out they made the right decision.
Belmont played an offense only the 1990s Houston Oilers could love, it would have to be described as run and shoot. Belmont shot 23 3s and made 8 of them.
Gerald Henderson most certainly did not commit public douchebaggery in this game. His coast-to-coast drive and layup saved Duke from perhaps the most embarrassing loss in NCAA history, at least since Richmond beat Syracuse in 1991.
What the fuck went wrong on Belmont's inbounds under their own basket down 1 with 4 seconds to go? It's a crime that they didn't get a shot to win the game.
Does this poor performance make Duke more or less likely to get knocked off in the next round? I say less likely because they'll probably shoot better from the outside.
As for the game I was looking forward to, USC absolutely sucked. It might have been the worst game they played all year.
I think O.J. Mayo did well, distributing, driving and making some key shots, but a few of his shots didn't fall, and that was the difference between coming all the way back, and not quite getting over the hump.
This game was marred by fouls, 45 in all. The officials called it way too closely and put both teams' best frontcourt players in jeopardy early. The fouls on Taj Gibson were actually a bigger factor than the ones called on Beasley. Kansas State got 6 3-point plays, which means USC either wasn't fouling hard enough, or wasn't fouling at all.
Michael Beasley played really well and showed that he has outside shooting and penetration in his game.
I still love Mayo, I think his team let him down.
Bill Walker had 17 points in the first half. Don't you think the announcers should have mentioned that he urinated into a towel on the court during a game earlier this season. The casual fan who is just tuning in for the Tournament hasn't heard that story, and don't you think they would find it interesting?
I was really disappointed in Arizona, like Kentucky and USC, they kept charging but couldn't take the lead. Their problem though was defense. Every time they scored they allowed West Virginia open shots.
Chase Budinger had a good game but he's like the anti-Hansbrough, it never looks like he is trying. If Budinger and Jerryd Bayless come back next season this team could be awesome. And even though I don't expect either of them to be a top 10 pick, I think they at least one of them will come out.
I was impressed with UCLA, they completely dominated, though anything else would have been a major disappointment. Mississippi Valley State scored the fewest points of any team in the Tournament (shot-clock era). And that's why I love UCLA, defense.
Let's hope for a few more exciting games on Friday.
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