Wednesday, April 18th, 2012

Recapping every game from the NCAA Tournament

Published on April 6, 2012 by Scott Shirley   ·   No Comments

Miss anything from the  NCAA tournament.  Check out my recaps from every game below from the opening round to the final game.

2nd Round

Murray State-58 Colorado State-41

-How about the defense from the Racers. The Rams were top 10 in the country in shooting three’s percentage wise. Today they were 3-14 and shot 33 % from the field.

-Murray State star Isaiah Canaan struggled shooting (4-15 from the field), but he still ended up with 15 points. The Racers are known for their offense but they really struggled in this game. They shot 5 of 17 from three and only 50 % from the line. If they are to beat Marquette they better shoot better and rebound better. They were out rebounded by 6 in this game. Murray State took care of the ball only committing 7 turnovers.

Kansas State-70 Southern Mississippi-64

-I have said it before and I will say it again, Rodney McGruder is the most underrated player nationally. All he did today was score 30 points on 11 of 16 shooting. He also made 2 threes and brought down 4 rebounds.

- Freshman Jordan Henriquez had a big game with 15 points and 9 rebounds. He has been playing well down the stretch.

- As a team the Wildcats shoot 50 % from the field and 77 % from the free throw line. If the Wildcats are to beat Syracuse they will need other player to step up. 3 players scored 58 of their 70 points.

Louisville-69 Davidson-62

-Despite fouling out of the game Louisville point guard Peyton Siva had an excellent game. He had 17 points on 7 of 12 shooting and he also added 6 assists. If he plays smart this Louisville team could go a ways.

-Freshman Chane Behanan had a double double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

- If the Cardinals want to get past New Mexico they will need to shoot the three better and cut down the turnovers. Louisville was only 1 of 5 from three. Also Louisville had 10 turnovers compared to 8 assists.

Wisconsin- 73 Montana-49

- Wisconsin point guard Jordan Taylor had somewhat of a down season but not in this game. He finished with 17 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists.

- Ryan Evans led the Badgers in scoring with 18 points and he also brought down 8 rebounds. He is really coming into his own.

- For the game the Badgers shot 53 % from three while making 10 three pointers. The Badgers also out rebounded Montana by 13.

- Probably the only negative for Wisconsin was Jared Berggren, who shot 2 for 9 from the field.

Marquette-88 BYU-66

- To me Marquette was the most impressive team of the day. If you had a question about Jae Crowder being Big East Player of the Year he answered that in this game. He had 25 points and 16 rebounds. He also hit 3 threes and had 4 assists and 4 steals.

- Darius Johnson-Odom also had a monster game with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

- The Eagles also got good play off their bench from Davante Gardner and Todd Mayo combined for 25 points.

- The only negative for Marquette was that they had 16 turnovers.

Syracuse-72 UNC Asheville-65

- There were some questionable calls from the refs down the stretch that helped the Orange. There is a reason why a 16th seed has never beaten a 1 seed the refs won’t let it happen.

- There is a reason why I picked the Orange not to go far and in this game they proved me right.

- They shot 5 of 23 from three. They only out rebounded UNC Ashville by 2. They better get ready for Kansas State, because they have twice the size and athletes that UNC Ashville has.

- As for the positives, Dion Waiters and James Southerland were the best players for the Cuse and they came off the bench. They also had 16 assists compared to 8 turnovers.

New Mexico-75 Long Beach State-68

-UCLA transfer Drew Gordon is a double double machine, in this game he had 18 points and 13 rebounds. He also shot 7 of 10 from the field.

-Guard Kendall Williams also had a solid game with 16 points and 5 assists. He also made 2 three’s.

-The Lobos got strong play out of their bench; they had 26 points in this one. They also shot an impressive 50 % from the field.

- The only real negative was New Mexico committed 14 turnovers. They were also out rebounded by 4.

Vanderbilt-79 Havard-70

- Vanderbilt finally beats a double-digit seed. John Jenkins is the best shooter in the country in my mind. Jenkins had 27 points. In this game he shot 7 of 12 from the field and made 10 free throws. Jenkins also had 6 rebounds.

- Point guard Brad Tinsley also stepped his game up big time with 16 points. If he plays like this in the future, Vanderbilt can go a ways. Jeffery Taylor was his solid self with 15 points.

- Overall Vanderbilt shot 54 % from the field and out rebounded the Crimson by 13.

- Some negatives; Vanderbilt had 16 turnovers. Also big men Lance Goulbourne, Festus Ezeli,and Steve Tchiengang only had a total of 12 points.

Kentucky-81 Western Kentucky-66

- As of late Terrence Jones has been playing lights out. In this game he had 22 points and 10 rebounds. He shot 9 of 13 from the field.

- Doron Lamb also had a breakout game with 16 points on 7 of 12 shooting.

- Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd Gilchrist were their usual dominate self’s. They combined for 23 points and 16 rebounds, 5 assists and 8 blocks; 7 of those blocks where from Davis.

- Kentucky out rebounded WKU by 12. The only negative was their three- point shooting and only having 6 points of the bench.

VCU-62 Wichita State-59

- You shouldn’t be shocked by this score after what VCU did last season.

- Bradford Burgess, the only starter returning from last year’s team, was their best player finishing with 16 points. He had 13 of those in the first half but he hit the clutch three late to give the Shockers the win.

- If VCU wants to get past Indiana they will need to shoot the three better and rebound. They only shot 6 of 23 from three and they were out rebounded by 2.

- Smart is one heck of a coach. I love his aggressive style.

Gonzaga-77 West Virginia -54

-Next to Marquette the Zags were the most impressive team of Thursday. A lot of experts picked the upset here and they were clearly wrong.

- The Zags held WVU to 33 % shooting from the field, while Gonzaga shot 56 % from the field. The Zags were 9 of 17 from three.

- 4 starters ended up with double figures for Gonzaga. Robert Sacre led the way with 14 points and 6 rebounds. Kevin Pangos added 13 points and 5 rebounds.

- Gonzaga had 6 different players score off their bench.

- No negatives for the Zags in this one.

Baylor- 68 South Dakota State-60

- The JackRabbits gave Baylor a scare but they pulled it out in the end.

- Leading the way was Brady Heslip who had 5 three’s. Pierre Jackson also had a solid game with 18 points.

- The reason why the Bears won the game is because they out rebounded South Dakota State by 14. Perry Jones had 11 rebounds.

- While Jones had 11 rebounds he only had 2 points. If the Bears are to go on Jones needs to score in double digits.

- Forwards Quincy Miller and Anthony Jones also had solid games.

Iowa State- 77 UConn-64

- UConn’s disappointing season is finally over, and they will not be back next year due to academics.

- Iowa State’s Royce White is one of the most dominating players in the country. His monster dunk off the first play of the game set the tone. For this game he had 15 points and 13 rebounds.

- Michigan State transfer Chris Allen had his best game as a Cyclone with 20 points.

- Scott Christopherson also had a solid game with 15 points including 3 three’s.

- Iowa State just dominated UConn on the glass out rebounding them by 19.

- No negatives for Iowa State in this one, if they have a chance to beat Kentucky they will have to play even better.

Indiana-79 New Mexico State-66

-If John Jenkins is the better shooter in the country Jordan Hulls is not far behind. For the game he had 22 points including 4 of 6 shooting from three.

- Cody Zeller had one of his best all around games. He had 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 6 steals.

- Christian Watford and Will Sheehey both had strong games combining for 28 points and shoot 13 of 22 from the field.

-For the game the Hoosier’s shot 59 % from the field but they allowed NMS to shoot 55 %.

Ohio State-78 Loyola-59

- Everyone always talks about Jared Sullinger but Deshaun Thomas is also pretty darn good. In this game he had 31 points and 12 rebounds. Along with Crowder from Marquette Thomas was one of the best players on Thursday.

- William Buford had a strong game with 17 points including 3 three’s.

- Aaron Craft finished with 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.

- The Buckeyes were dominant on the glass doubling Loyola up on the glass 46-23.

- Despite the score the Buckeyes had some negatives in this game. They had 18 turnovers and only got 8 points off their bench. Sullinger was just 4 of 14 from the field.

Colorado-68 UNLV-64

- The Buffaloes continued their hot streak into this game. Askia Booker came off the bench to score 16 points.

- Andre Roberson is one of the most underrated big guys out there. In this game he had 12 points and 16 rebounds.

- Austin Dufault and Carlon Brown combined to hit 5 three’s. For the game they were 7 of 12 from deep.

- They out rebounded UNLV by 13. A big negative in this game was that Colorado had 23 turnovers.

Cincinnati-65 Texas-59

-I have always said that Bearcats big man Yancy Gates needs more touches. In this game he got those touches and he produced. He finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

- Guards Dion Dixon, Cashmere Wright and Sean Kilpatrick all scored in double figures. Kilpatrick also added 6 assists while Wright had 5 dimes and 6 rebounds.

- The Bearcats played excellent defense holding Texas to 35 % shooting from the field. They also took care of the ball. They had 17 assists to only 9 turnovers.

-Some negatives for the Bearcats were that they shot 3 of 16 from three and 8 of 16 from the foul line. They also only got 6 points off their bench.

North Carolina State-79 San Diego State-65

- The Wolfpack are one of the hottest teams in the country, so there was a reason why they were a favorite despite being a lower seed.

- Richard Howell had his best game at NC State. He finished with 22 points on 10 of 12 shooting from the field.

- Point guard Lorenzo Brown gets overshadowed by Kendall Marshall in the ACC, but Brown can play and he needs more publicity. He finished this game with 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists.

- C. J. Lesile also had a strong game finishing with 15 points and 5 rebounds.

- For the game, the Wolfpack shot lights out from the field with 59 %. There was nothing really in this game that the Wolfpack didn’t do well. They could use more depth and shoot from three better.

Creighton-58 Alabama-57

- What a great 11 point come back from the Blue Jays. This is one scrappy team.

- As usual Doug McDermott was the star for Creighton; he finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

- Grant Gibbs, the Gonzaga transfer, also had a solid game with 10 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.

- The Blue Jays made 9 out of 21 three’s, but from the foul line they were only 5 of 13.

- If they want to beat North Carolina they will need to rebound and shoot even better than they did against Alabama.

Florida-71 Virginia- 45

- The Gators strong point is shooting three’s, but in this game they were only 4 of 23 from deep. So it’s even more impressive that they won this game without relying on the three.

- Despite being a guard Brad Beal finished the game with 11 rebounds and 14 points. Beal is one of the best freshmen in the country.

- Patric Young has also been playing well of late and in this game he was solid again with 13 points and 7 rebounds.

- For the game the Gators out rebounded the Cavs by 15. They also got 20 points off their bench. The Gators did everything well except shoot the three.

Florida State-66 St. Bonaventure-63

-Seminoles star Michael Snaer probably had his worst game at Florida State, but they still won the game. Snaer finished the game with no points.

-Bernard James stepped up big time. He finished the game with 19 points and 9 rebounds. He shot 8 of 11 from the field. Ian Miller and Okaro White were also both huge off the bench.

-Luke Loucks had a great all-around game with 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.

-The Seminoles also picked up their defense big time in the 2nd half that allowed their comeback.

Georgetown-74 Belmont-59

- Everyone was picking an upset here but I just didn’t see it. The Hoyas proved me right. They won this game because of their tough defense. They out rebounded Belmont by 8. Belmont is one of the best three point shooting teams in the country and the Hoyas held them to 10 of 27 shooting from three.

- Jason Clark had a huge game with 21 points. He was 9 of 12 shooting while making 3 three’s.

- Otto Potter and Henry Sims were dominating inside. Potter had 16 points and 8 rebounds, while Sims had 15 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds.

- Georgetown played a complete game their only disappointment was maybe the play of Hollis Thompson.

North Carolina-77 Vermont-58

- James Michael McAdoo stepped up big time in John Henson’s absence. He finished the game with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals.

- Vermont had no answer for ACC Player of the Year Tyler Zeller. He finished the game with 17 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 blocks. He also made 9 of 10 free throws.

- Kendall Marshall is scoring as of late, and that only makes him harder to guard. He finished the game with 11 points and 10 assists.

- Harrison Barnes finished with 14 points and 6 rebounds.

- Some negatives for the Tar Heels are that they only shot 42 % from the field, and from three they were only 29 %. They also allowed 14 offensive rebounds to Vermont.

- The Heels did play great defense without Henson. They forced 19 turnovers.

Norfolk State- 86 Missouri-84

- Norfolk State became just the 6th ever 15th seed to beat a 2 seed. They won this game because of one player, Kyle O’Quinn. He finished the game with 26 points and 14 rebounds.

- Pendarvis Williams added 20 points including 4 big three pointers.

- The Spartans just destroyed Missouri inside. They out rebounded them by 12.

- For the game Norfolk State shot 54 % from the field and 52 % from three.

- As for Missouri their lack of depth inside finally caught up with them.

Saint Louis-61 Memphis-54

-When Saint Louis plays at their pace and their style they are hard to beat. In this game they slowed the game down against a very athletic Memphis team.

- Kwamain Mitchell led Saint Louis with 22 points. He shot 9 of 14 from the field including 4 three pointers.

-Brain Conklin had 16 points with 10 of those coming from the free throw line.

- Besides the two players above Saint Louis really lacks scoring depth. Another negative for St. Louis was they committed 16 turnovers.

Lehigh-75 Duke-70

- From the beginning you could tell this upset could happen; Lehigh did not show any fear. They were the more aggressive team, just look at the free throw attempts. Lehigh had 37 to Duke’s 23.

- Lehigh’s C.J. McCollum was the nation’s 5th leading scorer averaging 21 .9 points per game. In this game McCollum was the best player on the court and it wasn’t even close, sorry Austin Rivers. For the game McCollum finished with 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists.

- Gabe Knutson also had a big game for the Mountain Hawks with 17 points on 5 of 5 shooting from the field. He also brought down 8 rebounds.

- As for Duke they live and die by the three. In this game the Blue Devils were horrible from three only making 6 of 26 three pointers. Another problem for Duke is they don’t have a true point guard. Austin Rivers is all 1 on 1, for the game he shot 5 of 14 from the field. Shooting guards Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins combined to shoot 3 of 18 from the field.

-Everyone from Duke shot badly from the field except for Mason Plumlee who was 9 for 9. You have to wonder why he didn’t get the ball more.

Ohio-65 Michigan-60

-Ohio’s D.J. Cooper is one of the better point guards in the nation that doesn’t get the hype. He finished the game with 21 points and 5 assists. He also made 3 three’s.

- Walter Offutt finished the game with 11 points and 4 assists.

- The Bobcats shot lights out from the field shooting 51 %. Ohio was 15 of 17 from the free throw line. They also took care of the ball having only 9 turnovers for the game. They also held Michigan to 40 % shooting from the field.

Purdue-72 Saint Mary’s-69

-This game was all about Terone Johnson, he has really picked it up in the 2nd half of the season. He finished the game with 21 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds. He was 9 out of 13 from the field.

- Robbie Hummel had only 10 points, but he also added 7 rebounds.

- Speedy point guard Lewis Jackson added 18 points.

-One Negative for Purdue was that they were outrebounded by 11.

Michigan State- 89 Long Island-67

- Wow, Draymond Green finished with his second career triple double in the NCAA tournament, being only the third player to do so. He finished the game with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. He is the most versatile player in the nation. He also hit 2 three’s.

- Big Man Adreian Payne might have played his best game as a Spartan. He finished with 16 points and 7 rebounds. Same goes with Derrick Nix he finished with 18 points and 8 rebounds.

- The Spartans shot 59 % from the field and out rebounded LIU by 23.

- No negatives for the Spartans; they could use more scoring out of their guards.

South Florida-58 Temple-54

- This was an ugly game USF was down 15-19 at half, but they scored 43 points in the 2nd half.

- Point Guard Anthony Collins was huge in this game with 17 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds.

- Victor Rudd Jr. also had 17 points including 4 three’s.

- The Bulls only shot 34 % from the field but they shot 47 % from three. The Bulls out rebounded the Owls by 7.

Xavier- 67 Notre Dame-63

- Xavier star guard Tu Holloway has had his ups and downs this season. In this game he was unstoppable he finished with 25 points on 10 of 15 shooting.

- Dez Wells also played big finishing with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

- Kenny Frease and Andre Walker played big inside for Xavier

- The only negative for Xavier is they got 2 points off the bench.

Kansas- 65 Detroit-50

-Thomas Robinson was once again unstoppable inside. He finished this game with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

- Elijah Johnson finished with 15 points including 3 three’s.

- Tyshwan Taylor also finished with 10 points and Jeff Withey had 9 rebounds.

- The Jayhawks played outstanding defense holding Detroit to 32 % shooting from the field.

-The Jawhawks did have some negatives in this game. They were outrebounded and had more turnovers than assists.

3rd Round

Syracuse-75 Kansas State-59

-After a poor showing against UNC Asheville the Cuse brought against KSU.

-Senior Scoop Jardine stepped his game up big time for Syracuse with 16 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds.

- Dion Waiters also had a big game for Syracuse scoring 18 points. He was most effective from the foul line with 7 points.

-James Southerland continued his hot play off the bench with 15 points and 6 rebounds.

- Rakeem Christmas played his best game of the season filling in for Fab Melo. He finished with 8 points and 11 rebounds.

- For the game the Orange shot 51 % from the field including 67 % from three. On defense their zone really caused KSU problems. KSU only shot 31 % from the field.

- The only bad thing for Syracuse in this game was rebounding. They were outrebounded by 6 and gave up 22 offensive rebounds. Eventually this is going to come back and hurt them.

Ohio State-73 Gonzaga- 66

- This game was all about Ohio State point guard Aaron Craft. He has always been a great defender, rebounder, and passer but today he showed off his scoring ability. Craft had 17 points against the Zags. He shot 7 of 9 from the field and most of those were lay ups after he beat his man 1 on 1.

- After scoring 31 points last game Deshaun Thomas had 18 points in this one including 3 three’s. Thomas also added 5 offensive rebounds.

- Jared Sullinger also added a very efficient 18 points. He was 5 of 9 from the field including 2 for 2 from three. Sullinger was 6 of 7 from the free throw line.

- Last year the Buckeyes were a great three point shooting team; this year not so much. In this game, though, the three point shoot was the difference for the Buckeyes as they made 9 three’s.

- William Buford did not have his best game for the Buckeyes; he finished shooting 4 of 13 from the field. The Buckeyes also got zero points from their bench.

Marquette-62 Murray State-53

-Marquette won this game on their strong aggressive defensive play. Marquette limited Murray State to 31 % shooting from the field. Murray State shot 4 of 21 from three and they also committed 16 turnovers.

-Marquette star Jae Crowder didn’t have as good as a game as he had on Thursday but he was still pretty darn impressive. He finished this game with 17 points, 13 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. Talk about filling out the stat sheet.

-Darius Johnson-Odom just knows how to score he had 17 points against Murray State.

-Davante Gardner and Todd Mayo were huge off the bench for the Golden Eagles. Mayo had 8 while Gardner had 6.

- Marquette was outrebounded by 5 in this game, and they only shot 38 % from field. These need to improve if they want to win a title.

Wisconsin-60 Vanderbilt-57

-The Badgers won this game because of balance scoring and their defense especially defending the three. They also took care of the ball on offense.

-Leading the Badgers was star point guard Jordan Taylor with 14 points. He added 3 three’s. Next was Jared Berggren, who finished with 12 points and 6 rebounds.

-Ryan Evans got Wisconsin off to a hot start; he finished the game with 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. Ben Brust also added 11 points off the bench including 3 three’s.

-The Badgers held Vanderbilt to 5 of 19 shooting from the three. They held John Jenkins the best shooter in the country to 3 of 13 shooting.

-The only bad thing for the Badgers in this one was that they were outrebounded by 5.

Indiana-63 VCU-61

- What a great comeback from the Hoosiers. Cody Zeller and Christian Watford were the stars, but other players stepped up down the stretch.

- VCU had no answer for Zeller inside who finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Watford also added 16 points including 4 three’s. He also had 5 rebounds.

- With the Hoosiers down three late, Victor Oladipo came up with a huge three point play. For the game he had 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. He also played great defense.

- Will Sheehey hit a jump shot with about 13 seconds left to give the Hoosiers the victory. In this game he had 8 points, 4assists, and 3 rebounds.

- The Hoosiers shot 52 % from the field while VCU only shot 40 %. The Hoosiers out rebounded VCU by 13.

- Indiana committed 22 turnovers in this game, if they want to beat Kentucky they need to cut this number in half. Also Jordan Hulls struggled to score in this game.

Kentucky-87 Iowa State-71

- This game was all about Kentucky’s point guard Marquis Teague. This was by far Teague’s best game in a Kentucky uniform. For the game he finished with 24 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds. He was 10 of 14 from the field. No one can stop Teague off the dribble. If Teague plays like this Kentucky might be unbeatable.

- Doron Lamb continued his hot play with scoring 16 points again. 15 of those points came from three.

- Anthony Davis was his usual dominant self; he finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks. Is there any question he is the best player in the country?

- Darius Miller gave the Wildcats a big spark off the bench. He had 19 points and 6 rebounds. He also hit 3 three’s.

- Kentucky shot 55 % from the field and 50 % from three, while Kentucky defense held Iowa State to 41 % shooting. For the game Iowa State only shot 3 of 22 from the field.

- The Wildcats were also dominant on the glass outrebounding Iowa State by 9.

Baylor -80 Colorado-63

- The Star of this game was no doubt Brady Heslip. Heslip had 27 points and all of those came from the three point line. His 9 three pointers were 2 off the all-time NCAA tournament record. He made 5 three’s last game.

- Pierre Jackson was the other star for the Bears. Colorado could not keep him outside the lane. He finished the game with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 5 steals.

- The Bears got great production out of the bench with 16 points, and they out rebounded the Buffaloes by 7.

- Quincy Acy and Quincy Miller had strong rebounding games. Acy had 10 and Miller had 5.

- The Bears really need to get Perry Jones going. In two NCAA tournament games he only had 9 points. They need a ton more production out of the future lottery pick.

Lousivlle-59 New Mexcio-56

- The Cardinals won this game because of great defense and the play of Russ Smith off the bench.

- Louisville held New Mexico to 39 % shooting. For the game New Mexico only shot 5 of 23 from three. Louisville also came up with 9 steals.

- Russ Smith came off the bench to lead Louisville with 17 points. He was 3 of 3 from three.

- While Peyton Siva didn’t have his best game, he came up big at the end of the game. Siva had a real nice pass that led to a dunk by Gorgui Dieng. Deng also came up big on the glass finishing with 10 rebounds.

- Kyle Kuric and Chane Behanan both added 10 points.

- One thing Louisville did not do well in this game was rebounding. They were outrebounded by 11.

NC State-66 Georgetown-63

-NC State is one of the hottest teams in the country; they are playing their best basketball of the year. 4 starters scored in double figures and the other had 9 points.

-Leading the way was Lorenzo Brown, who knows how to fill out the stat sheet. He finished the game with 12 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds.

-Scott Wood only shot 6 times, but he made 4 three’s and finished with 14 points. C.J. Williams also added 14 points

-The Wolfpack big men of C.J. Leslie and Richard Howell once again dominated inside. Leslie had 14 points and 8 rebounds and Howell had 9 points and 9 rebounds. The two combined for 10 offensive rebounds.

-The only thing the Wolfpack did not do well is shoot free throws, they were 60 %. They also only got three points from their bench.

Michigan State-65 St. Louis- 61

-The difference in this game was shooting. Michigan State shot 54 % from the field, while St. Louis shot 35 %. The reason this game was even close was because St. Louis made more three’s and free throws.

-Once again Draymond Green was just amazing. He finished the game with 16 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. He also made 2 three’s. What can’t he do?

- Point guard Keith Appling stepped up big time late after struggling early. He finished the game with 19 points and 3 assists.

-Brandon Wood continued his hot play of late scoring 10 points, and big man Derrick Nix also added 10 points off the bench.

-No negatives to me from the Spartans in this game.

North Carolina- 87`Creighton-73

- Within minutes after the Tar Heels win the cheers turned to jeers after it was announced that Kendall Marshall had a fractured right wrist. The only good thing is that it is his non shooting hand; his status for the rest of the tournament is unknown. That sad part is Marshall was having another outstanding game. He led the Heels in scoring with 18 points on 7 of 8 shooting. He also added 11 assists.

- Speaking of wrists, John Henson star just returned from a wrist injury; he had been out for 9 days. The wrist did not affect Henson as he went on to score 13 points. He also added 10 rebounds and 4 blocks.

- Harrison Barnes finished the game with 17 points and 5 rebounds. He also made 3 three’s.

- Reggie Bullock added 13 points including 3 three’s. Tyler Zeller did not have his best game, but he still ended up with 11 points and 6 rebounds.

- James Michael McAdoo continued his hot play scoring 9 points off the bench.

- No negatives from the Tar Heels in this game they shot 50 % from both the field and three point line. They were also +11 on the glass.

Florida-84 Norfolk State-50

- The Gators pounded the 15th and they never looked back. The Gators shot lights out from the field while Norfolk State only shot 27 % from the field.

- Leading the way was Kenny Boynton, who finished with 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists.

- Point guard Erving Walker added 15 points including 8 from the free throw line.

- Bradley Beal who can do it all also had a very solid game. He finished with 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists.

- The Gators out rebounded Norfolk State by 10; that was something Missouri couldn’t do. The Gators hit 10 three’s in this game. If they make their three’s they can go a ways in the tournament.

Ohio-62 South Florida-56

-The Ohio Bobcats Cinderella run goes on. They won this game because of great defense and excellent foul shooting. Only three players scored more than 4 points for the Bobcats.

- Leading the way was Walter Offutt, who finished with 19 points, including 4 three’s. He also added 4 steals.

- Star point guard D.J. Cooper finished with 19 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds. There is no question that he is the leader of this team.

- Nick Kellogg finished with 9 points including 2 three’s.

- Ohio only shot 39 % from the field and were outrebounded by 7. If they want to beat the Tarheels they will need to do better.

Xavier -70 Lehigh-58

-This game was tied at 52 but Xavier went on an 18-6 run to finish the game.

- This game was all about center Kenny Frease, who had his best game in a Xavier uniform. He finished with 25 points and 12 rebounds. He was 11 out of 13 from the field.

- Tu Holloway also had a huge game with 21 points including 4 three pointers.

- Xavier played excellent defense holding Lehigh to 32 % shooting including 3 of 22 from three. They were also plus 6 on the glass.

- If Xavier’s wants to advance they need more scoring out of role players. Mark Lyons needs to get going.

Kansas-63 Purdue-60

-Kansas was down most the game but they just found a way to win in the end, that’s what good teams do.

-Kansas star’s Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor did not have their best games. Robinson had 13 rebounds but he just finished 2 of 12 from the field. Taylor finished with 10 points on 4 of 11 shooting.

- Kansas outrebounded Purdue by 3. The Jayhawks also had 15 offensive rebounds. If they want to go far they will have to shoot better.

- One player who really stepped it up for Kansas was Elijah Johnson. He finished with 18 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. He also made 3 three’s.

Cincinnati- 62 Florida State-56

-As everyone expected this was a very tough physical low scoring game.

-The star on this night was no doubt Sean Kilpatrick, he finished with 18 points and 6 rebounds. He hit 4 three’s including one late to seal the victory.

-Dion Dixon had 15 points, and Yancy Gates added 10 points and 5 rebounds.

- Chashmere Wright didn’t score a lot but he finished the game with 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 5 steals. Jaquon Parker added 11 rebounds and 4 assists.

-The Bearcats played great defense forcing 17 Florida State turnovers.

Sweet 16

East

Syracuse-64 Wisconsin-63

- Syracuse won this game because of their hot shooting and their 2-point defense. For the game the Orange shot 55 % from the field, including 56 % from three.

- The Badgers did make 14 three’s against the Syracuse 2-3 zone but they did not allow penetration into the zone. Wisconsin made only 7 two pointers for the whole game.

- In previous games allowing offensive rebounds was a weakness for Syracuse but not in this game.

- In the previous two NCAA tournament games C.J. Fair scored a total of 6 points, but in this game he had 15 points. He shot 7 of 9 from the field. He also added 7 rebounds and 4 steals.

- Senior guard Scoop Jardine continued his hot play with 14 points. He made two three’s and added 4 assists.

- Dion Waiters was once again money off the bench. He had 13 points for the game.

- Baye Keita only had 4 points, but he gave the Orange great minutes without Fab Melo. He played a lot better than Rakeem Christmas.

- Brandon Triche added 11 points on 5 of 7 shooting.

- What a great career for Wisconsin’s Jordan Taylor. He finished this game with 17 points; he just doesn’t have the playmakers around him.

- If Syracuse wants to advance to the final four they have to defend the three pointers better. They also need to pass the ball better; in this game they only had 5 assists.

Ohio State-81 Cincinnati-66

- Wow Deshaun Thomas is the hottest basketball player in the country. Against the Bearcats he had 26 points and 7 rebounds. He also added three three’s. He can score in multiple ways, and that’s what makes him so tough. In three NCAA tournament games Thomas is averaging 25 points per game.

- Jared Sullinger also stepped his game up big time. He wasn’t at his best in the first two tournament games but in this one he was unstoppable. He finished the game with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists. Sullinger was 9 of 10 from the line. He also shut down Cincinnati big man Yancy Gates.

- Lenzelle Smith Jr. had a huge game in the two previous NCAA games; he a combined 10 points. Against Cincinnati he had 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 6 of 7 from the field including 3 of 4 from three.

- Aaron Craft is the best on the ball defender in the nation and it’s not even close. Cincinnati had 18 turnovers for the game, and a lot of those where because of Craft. For the game Craft finished with 11 points, 6 steals, 5 assists, and 4 steals. Talk about filling up the stat sheet.

- The only negative for the Buckeyes was the play of William Buford. Buford finished the game with 4 points on 1 of 8 shooting. If the Buckeyes want to win a national championship they need Buford on his game.

- The Buckeyes are still not getting any production from their bench. In three tournament games the Buckeyes have a combined total of 9 points off their bench.

- The Buckeyes are getting hot from three at the right time; they struggled during the regular season.

West

Louisville-57 Michigan State-44

-Louisville won this game in one word “defense”. They forced Michigan State to shoot 14 of 49 from the field that is 29 %. The Cardinals also forced 15 turnovers and had 7 blocks.

-Michigan State is also one of the best rebounding teams in the nation. In this game Louisville out rebounded them by 2. That is impressive for Louisville considering in their last game against New Mexico they were minus 11 on the glass.

-The Louisville big man stepped up big time for the Cardinals in this one. Chane Behanan had a monster second half. He finished the game with 15 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals. The only negative is he shot 3 of 7 from the free throw line. Sure, Gorgui Deng only had 5 points but he was the real difference in this game. Deng had 7 blocks and 9 rebounds. He shut down Michigan State’s centers Adreian Payne and Derrick Nix , who were both playing well.

- Sure Peyton Siva only finished with 4 points on 2 of 9 shooting but he had a huge impact on this game. He finished with a career high this season in assists with 9. If they Cardinals want to advance they need Siva to continue to set up his teammates.

- Louisville got great contributions from Chris Smith, Russ Smith and Jared Swopshire. The three combined to go 7 of 12 from three. Chris Smith finished with 5 rebounds while Russ finished with 3 rebounds and 3 assists.

- Louisville really needs to get Kyle Kuric going. In NCAA tournament play he is only shooting 35 % from the field.

- Sadly for Dryamond Green this was the end to a great career. He finished the game with 13 points and 16 rebounds.

- Could the Cardinals be what UConn was last season?

Florida-68 Marquette-58

- The Gators are really not known for their defense but right now they are playing lights out on defense. They held Marquette to 31 % shooting from the field and 29 % from three. In Florida’s first three games they have given up an average of 51 points per game. That is 4th best in the shot clock era.

- Right now besides Anthony Davis Bradley, Beal is playing like the best freshman in the country. In this game Beal was the best player on the court and it was not even close. He finished with 21 points on 8 of 10 shooting. He also made three three’s. He also had 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Talk about stock rising.

- Despite playing mostly a four guard offense the Gators are rebounding well in this tournament. In this game they out rebounded a very tough Marquette team by 4. For the tournament they are a combined plus 31 on the glass.

- Eric Murphy and Patric Young both had 7 points. Murphy had 10 rebounds while Young had 9. However, Murphy struggled shooting; he finished 1 of 8 from three.

- Guards Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton both finished with 11 points. However, both struggled from the field, Walker was 3 of 9 while Boynton was 2 of 10. Both made it up on the free throw line going a combined 10 out of 11. Boynton also added 5 assists and 4 rebounds.

- The Gators lead the nation in made three’s per game but right now they are struggling percentage wise. In this game they were 7 of 27 (26 %). In three NCAA tournament games they are shooting 21 for 78 (27%)

- Sadly this is the end of the careers of Marquette stars Jae Crowder and Darius Johnson-Odom.

Midwest

North Carolina-73 Ohio-65

Finally, we had our first overtime game of the tournament. In the end the Tar Heels made more plays in overtime and they were just too big for Ohio to handle inside.

- ACC Player of the Year Tyler Zeller was unstoppable in this game. He finished with 20 points and 22 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Eight of those rebounds where offensive. He should have gotten a lot more touches. Zeller became the 4th player in last 35 seasons to have a 20/20 game in tourney along with Hakeem Olajuwon (’83), Joe Smith (’95), Tim Duncan (’97).

-The Tar Heels are the best rebounding team in the nation and in this game they just dominated Ohio on the glass outrebounding them by 30.

–The storyline of this whole game was the absence of North Carolina’s star point guard Kendall Marshall. They really missed Marshall to no surprise as they committed 24 turnovers. They had 13 turnovers in the first half that is more than Tar Heels had in 21 full games this season. Backup point guard Stilman White did an excellent job of running the offense. He finished the game with 6 assists and no turnovers. However, there is no question White cannot get the easy shots for his teammates that Marshall can. White cannot penetrate the lane at all.

-Reggie Bullock stepped his game up big time. He finished the game with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. 15 of those points came from the three pointers. Many of these three’s where clutch shots, including one late in regulation and a key three in overtime. He had 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 three’s – 4th guy to do that in an NCAA tourney game and 1st since Ray Allen in ’96.

- John Henson still playing with a sore wrist finished the game with a double double 14 points and 10 rebounds. Henson hit some big jump shots but he was only 2 of 6 from the free throw line.

-James Michael McAdoo gave the Tar Heels a spark off the bench with 6 points.

- Harrison Barnes really struggled bad in this game. He shot 3 of 16 from the field with 5 turnovers. Only one of those shots was in the paint he needs to attack the rim more especially against the smaller team. To Barnes credit though, he turned it up in overtime.

- The Tar Heels did play solid defense in this game besides giving up wide open three’s. Ohio only shot 32% from the field. Coming into this game D.J. Cooper was averaging 20 points in the tournament but in this game he finished 3 of 20 from the field.

Kansas-60 NC State-57

-The story of this game was the play of the Kansas big men and the defense of Kansas.

- Thomas Robinson had another monster game with 18 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Six of those rebounds were offensive. Robinson did only shoot 7 of 17 from the field and 4 of 9 from the free throw line. So he left a lot of points out there.

- Jeff Withey only had 8 points and 5 rebounds but his impact on this game was with block shots. Withey, the Big 12 defensive player of the year finished the game with 10 blocks. NC State just kept on trying to go at Withey with no success.

- The Jawhawks won this game because of defense. NC State only shot 28 % from the field, and from three. In three NCAA tournament games Kansas opponents are only shooting 33 % (59-180) from the field. That is great defense. Even if they are struggling on offense they can also count on their defense. The Jayhawks forced 14 turnovers.

- Kansas star point guard Tyshawn Taylor really struggled in this game. He finished with 6 points on 2 of 14 shooting. He was also just 2 of 5 from the free throw line. Taylor also committed 5 turnovers. He did however impact the games in other ways. He did finish with 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. If Kansas wants to go to the final four he needs to play a lot better.

-Elijah Johnson continued his hot play with 11 points on 5 of 8 shooting. He also added 3 assists.

- Travis Releford had 7points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. While Conner Teahan and Kevin Young each had 5 points off the bench

- They Jayhawks need to shoot better. They were just 1 of 14 from three and 11 of 20 from the charity strike.

South

Baylor-75 Xavier-70

- Baylor Forward Quincy Acy picked a good time to have the best game of his Baylor career. He finished the game with 20 points and 15 rebounds. He shot 8 of 11 from the field including a monster highlight real dunk.

- Point guard Pierre Jackson also continued his hot play. For the game he had 16 points and 10 assists. Jackson also made three three’s. His quickness is tough to handle.

- Future NBA lottery pick Perry Jones III really had a disappointing first two games averaging only 4.5 points per game. Against Xavier Jones brought his A game. He finished with 14 points on 7 of 8 shooting and he added 5 rebounds.

- Brady Heslip did not make 9 three’s like last time out, but be he had a pretty solid game. He finished with 11 points and only 1 three.

- Guard A.J. Walton played well off the bench, he finished with 5 assists. Quincy Miller added 6 points while Anthony Jones had 5 points.

- The Bears are dominating the glass in all three of their NCAA tournament games. They are now a plus 28 on the glass.

- Baylor really played great defense. They held Xavier to 43 % shooting from the field. Xavier was just 3 of 15 from the field.

- Baylor shot over 50 % from the field and 86 % from the free throw line. The Bears only shot 5 of 15 from the field.

- For Xavier Tu Holloway wrapped up a great career with 22 points.

Kentucky-102 Indiana-90

-This was by far my favorite game of the tournament because it was all offense and up and down basketball. They didn’t need a shot clock for this game.

- Kentucky’s Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was just unstoppable in this game. He finished the game with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Six of those rebounds were offensive. He was also 10 for 10 from the line. He was a man, and Indiana had no one who could stop him. This was a huge game for Gilchrist because in the first two tournament games he was struggling.

- Guards Marquis Teague and Doron Lamb are playing their best basketball of the season right now. Teague finished with 14 points and 7 assists. While Lamb had 21 points and was 8 for 8 from the foul line. For the tournament Teague is averaging 16.6 points and Lamb is averaging 17.6 points. If Kentucky guards are playing like this the Wildcats are unbeatable.

-Darius Miller had a huge game off the bench. He finished with 19 points and including two three’s. Kentucky needs production off their bench and tonight Miller gave that to them.

- Anthony Davis got in foul trouble early and sat most of the 1st half. He only took 4 shots in the game and finished with 9 points. He also finished with 12 rebounds and 3 blocks. Davis can play a lot better and that is scary for future opponents of Kentucky. Terrence Jones also added 12 points and 5 rebounds.

- Kentucky was money from the free throw line. They shot 35 out of 37 that is 95 %. Kentucky held a plus 9 advantage on the glass. They also took care of the ball only committing 6 turnovers.

- The only negative for Kentucky was they allowed Indiana to shot 52 % from the field.

-What a job Tom Crean has done with this Indiana program. They should be here again in the years to come.

Elite 8

Louisville-72 Florida-68

- Rick Pitino just owns his former point guard Billy Donovan. In their head to head matchups Pitino is undefeated. Florida killed Louisville with three’s in the 1st half but Pitino made a great coaching adjustment and the Gators did not make a three in the second half. Florida really choked this game away. Louisville finished the game on an 18-3 run. The Cardinals played excellent defense and made the game winning plays.

- The Cardinals won this game because of two players Russ Smith and Chane Behanan. Behanan finished the game with 17 points and 7 rebounds. He shot 7 of 10 from the field. Behanan was clutch down the stretch as he made the go ahead shot with about a minute left in the game. Behanan is averaging 14 points in the NCAA tournament which is well above his regular season average.

- Russ Smith came off the bench and had a huge game again. He finished the game with 19 points, and 5 rebounds. He finished the game 6 of 7 from the free throw line, and many of those were pressure shots down the stretch. When Peyton Siva fouled out, Smith led the comeback. The only negative was the 4 turnovers.

- Point guard played a great game despite fouling out of the game. He finished with 9 points. More importantly he played like a true point guard with 8 assists and only 1 turnover.

- Gorgui Dieng did not have the blocks he had last game but he had another solid game. He finished with 8 points and 6 rebounds. He only blocked one shot he altered many other.

- Chris Smith had a solid game with 8 points on 3 of 4 shooting from the field. Kyle Kuric finished with 8 points but his shooting struggles continued in this game. He was just 3 of 9 from the field. If they get Kuric going, watch out opposing teams.

- The Cardinals averaged 14 turnovers a game but in this game they really took care of the ball only committing 6 turnovers.

- Going forward Louisville still needs to rebound better. Against Florida they were minus 5 on the glass and the Gators are not a big team.

 

Ohio State-77 Syracuse-70

The story of this game for the Buckeyes was great offensive balance and the Buckeyes got solid play off their bench.

-Despite getting in foul trouble early and being forced to sit most of the 1st half Jared Sullinger had a huge game with 19 points and 7 rebounds. He just had too much muscle for Syracuse inside. Sullinger got to the foul line and finished the game 9 of 12.

-Lenzelle Smith Jr. despite getting knocked in the head early had a huge game. He finished with 18 points including three three’s and 7 of 9 shooting from the free throw line. Smith is only averaging 6 points per game for the season.

-Deshaun Thomas didn’t have a monster game but he still finished the game with 14 points and 9 rebounds. Coming into this game he was averaging 25 points in the tournament.

-Aaron Craft only had 5 points but once again he proved that he is the best on the ball defender in the country. Scoop Jardine and Dion Waiters really struggled. Craft also added 4 rebounds and 4 assists.

- The scary thing is Ohio State is winning and William Buford has not had a great game yet. In this game Buford was 3 of 12 from the field. Last game he was just 1 of 8. Buford did however finish with 9 rebounds. If Buford gets going, watch out.

- In the first 3 NCAA tournament games the Buckeyes got a total of 9 points off their bench. In this game they got 8 points. Big men Evan Ravenel and Amir Williams had big minutes with Sullinger in foul trouble. They especially played great defense Williams finished with 4 rebounds.

-The Buckeyes just dominated Syracuse on the glass. For the game they were plus 15 and had 13 offensive rebounds.

Kentucky-82 Baylor-70

- This game wasn’t even as close as the final score indicated. The Wildcats were down 10-5 early but after that they went on a huge run and had leads of 20 plus. Right now they just look unbeatable. I don’t know if some of the bad NBA teams could beat them right now.

- Kentucky’s Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was just unstoppable in this game. He finished the game with 19 points and 5 rebounds. He shot 7 of 10 from the field. He was a man, and Baylor had no one who could stop him.

- Anthony Davis had a scare with a knee injury but lucky for him it was nothing serious. All he did in this game is score 18 points, bring down 11 rebounds and have 6 blocks. Davis is also showing off his all-around game as he hit a couple long jump shots in this game.

- Sure Terrence Jones only scored 12 points, but he dominated the game in every other area. Jones finished with 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals. Now that is filling out the stat sheet.

- Marquis played lights out in the first three tournament games but not so much against Baylor. He finished the game with 4 turnovers.

- Doron Lamb had zero points in the 1st half but in the second half he scored 14 points. He got half of his points from the free throw line.

- Darius Miller had another solid game off the bench with 8 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals.

- Everyone always talks about the Wildcats defense but they can really defend. In this game they held Baylor to shot 39 % from the field. Kentucky also had 9 blocks and forced 14 Baylor turnovers.

Kansas-80 North Carolina-67

- Kansas was up 68-67 with about 3:30 minutes left, and all they did to finish the game was go on a 12-0 run. After allowing 47 points in the 1st half the Kansas defense really turned it up in the 2nd half only allowing 20 points. A major reason for this was the triangle and two defense Bill Self used. What a great coaching move.

- The story of this game was Kansas star point guard Tyshawn Taylor, who was really struggling coming into this game. Last game he was 2 of 14 from the floor. Against UNC Taylor finished with 22 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals. Talk about filling out the box score.

- Thomas Robinson was his usual dominant self-finishing the game with 18 points and 9 rebounds. He even hit a three in this game. After struggling at the free throw line last game Robinson was a prefect 5 for 5 in this game. Robinson could shoot a higher percentage, as he was only 6 of 16 from the field.

- Jeff Withey had a huge game; he finished with 15 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks. He was 5 of 5 from the field and 5 out of 6 from the free throw line. However, he made his impact on the defensive end. He really shut down Tyler Zeller and John Henson. The two only combined to score 22 points.

- Travis Releford finished with 11 points but his biggest impact on the game was defense. He held Harrison Barnes to 5 of 14 shooting and really frustrated him at times.

- Elijah Johnson was only 3 of 11 from the field but he hit a clutch three late that put the game away. Johnson also had 5 assists and 4 rebounds.

- Kevin Young only had 2 points but he brought down 8 rebounds. Four of those rebounds were offensive.

- The Jayhawks out rebounded the best rebounding team in the nation by 10. They also took care of the ball only committing 8 turnovers.

- North Carolina’s Tyler Zeller great career has come to an end. He finished this game with 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 blocks.

- You can play the what if game but if Kendall Marshall played in this game I think the Tar Heels would have won. Without Marshall, the best passer in the game, the Heels had no one who could penetrate the lane. Barnes really needs Marshall without him he really struggles. Don’t forget besides Marshall UNC also lost two guards for the rest of the season. The injury bug continued for UNC in this game as John Henson sprained his ankle. Henson already had a sore wrist in this game.

Final Four

Kentucky-69 Louisville-61

-The star for the Wildcats was once again Anthony Davis. Just like Kentucky is clearly the best team in the country Davis is clearly the best player in the nation. All the freshman did against Louisville was finish with 18 points, bring down 14 rebounds, and block 5 shots. He was 7 of 8 shooting from the field. Two of those field goals were highlight real alley oops.

-Guards Doron Lamb and Marquis Teague once again were solid for the Wildcats. These two have played their best basketball in the tournament. Teague finished the game with 8 points 5 assists, and only 2 turnovers. He had 2 driving layups early that really set a tone for the game. Lamb finished with 10 points. He needs to make some threes if the Wildcats are going to cut down the nets on Monday.

- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist picked up two fouls and sat the rest of the 1st half. He never got into a rhythm but he still finished with 9 points all in the second half. Gilchrist got most of the points late in the half that sealed the victory for Kentucky. Most of those points were on strong drives to the basket. Terrence Jones struggled on offense this game finishing with 6 points on 3 of 8 shooting. He did bring down 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.

-Darius Miller was once again a star off the bench. He finished with 13 points on 4 of 7 shooting. Miller was also 4 of 4 from the free throw line. Miller hit a key three when Louisville made a run. He would a starter at every other school in the country. Kyle Wiltjer also gave Kentucky solid plays off the bench with 5 points including 1 three.

-For the game Kentucky shot lights out from the field. They were 28 out of 49 that is 57 %. They also played excellent defense holding the Cardinals to 35 % shooting from the field. As a team the Wildcats finished the game with 7 steals and 7 blocks.

- The Wildcats do need to clear some things up if they want to win the championship on Monday night. First they were outrebounded by 5 and gave up 16 offensive rebounds to the Cardinals. Kentucky only shot 11 of 20 from the free throw line. They also didn’t shot the three very well they were just 2 of 7. Lastly they need to take better care of the ball. They had 14 turnovers compared to only 9 assists.

Kansas-64 Ohio State-62

- Once again the Jayhawks play excellent defense in the second half to move on to the title game to play Kentucky. This Jayhawk just does not give up. They were down as many as 13 points in this game and they only led for a total of 3 : 48 minutes. They just have the will to win, that other teams don’t have.

- Leading the Jayhawks was once again Thomas Robinson, who finished with 19 points and 8 rebounds. Robinson though did his work on defense limited the leading scorer in the tournament Deshaun Thomas to 9 points on 3 of 14 shooting. He also got Thomas into foul trouble.

- Jeff Withey only had 4 points but he was a beast on the defensive end. The Big 12 Defensive Player of the year finished with 8 rebounds and 7 blocks. He probably alters a lot of shots too. He frustrated Ohio State Jared Sullinger into 5 of 19 shooting from the field. Withey’s length gave him all kind of problems.

- Travis Releford really stepped up his offensive game for Kansas last night. Coming into this game he was only averaging about 8 points in the tournament against Ohio State he had 15 points on 5 of 7 shooting. He was 4 of 4 from the line with all the free throws coming late in the 2nd half. Releford also finished with 6 rebounds.

- Point guard Tyshawn Taylor shooting woes continued but he did make two free throws late to seal the victory for the Jayhawks. Taylor was just 3 of 11 from the floor. He has not made a three this whole NCAA tournament. Taylor did impact the game with his passing he finished with 9 assists but he also had 5 turnovers. He did come up with a big steal late. If Kansas is to beat Kentucky Taylor needs to play a lot better.

- Elijah Johnson continued his hot play in the tournament. In this game he finished with 13 points on 6 of 9 shooting including 1 big three pointer. He also brought down 10 rebounds not bad for a guard. Johnson had a layup late to give the Jayhawks a three point lead.

- Conner Teahan hit a big three for Kansas off the bench and Kevin Young brought down 5 rebounds. 4 of those rebounds were offensive.

- Last time out the Jayhawks outrebounded UNC the best rebounding team in the country. This game was no different as they outrebounded Ohio State by 11. The Jayhawks played lights out defense the whole game limiting the Buckeyes to 34 % shooting from the field.

- If the Jayhawks want to beat Kentucky on Monday night they are some things they need to improve. They cannot commit 17 turnovers and shoot 3 of 11 from behind the arch.

Championship Game

Kentucky-67 Kansas-59

- First congrats to John Calipari for winning his first NCAA championship. Give him tons of credit for bringing a lot of young players together and getting them to play hard and as a team.

- The star of this game was once again Anthony Davis and he was only 1 of 10 from the field and had 6 points. However, Davis brought his A-game in every other area. Davis had 16 rebounds, 6 blocks, 5 assists and 3 steals. Talk about filling out a stat sheet. Davis averaged 13.6 points, 12.3 rebounds, 4.8 blocks, and 3 assists for the tournament.

- Doron Lamb could also be considered Kentucky’s best player in this game. Lamb, one of the best shooters in the nation finished with 22 points on 7 of 12 shooting from the floor. He also nailed 3 threes with two of those coming late that sealed the victory for the Wildcats. He averaged 16.5 points per game in the tournament compared to 13.2 points in the regular season. He also shot about 50 % from three.

- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was once again solid for the Wildcats he finished the game with 11 points and 6 rebounds. He was 4 of 7 from the floor. For the tournament he averaged 12.3 points and 6.6 rebounds. He just overpowered everyone with his strength in the tournament. Gilchrist is so versatile.

- Freshman point guard Marquis Teague has came a long way since the beginning of the season. He finished the championship game with 14 points and 3 assists. He also made 2 big threes. Teague averaged 13.3 points, 4.8 assists and 2.7 rebounds during Kentucky’s championship run.

- Terrence Jones was inconsistent sometimes at the beginning of the season but at the end of the season he was playing his best basketball. In the championship game against Kansas he finished with 9 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. For the tournament Jones averaged 11.5 points and 8.2 rebounds.

- If Darius Miller played anywhere else in the country he would be starting. He didn’t score in double digits this game but he still had 6 rebounds. In the tournament Miller is averaging 11.6 points and 3.8 rebounds. He is also shooting 17 out of 18 from the free throw line. Not bad for a bench player.

- Everyone always talks about Kentucky’s offense but their defense is pretty darn good. They forced Kansas to shot 35 % from the field and had 10 block shots. Another key for the Wildcats was they outrebounded Kansas by 5.

 

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