{"id":1609,"date":"2011-03-05T16:54:28","date_gmt":"2011-03-05T20:54:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.broadstreetbelievers.com\/?p=1609"},"modified":"2011-03-06T14:31:18","modified_gmt":"2011-03-06T18:31:18","slug":"ctc-day-five","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/?p=1609","title":{"rendered":"CTC: Day Five"},"content":{"rendered":"

LAST UPDATE:\u00a0\u00a01:32 am
\n* – denotes recently posted update<\/strong><\/p>\n

Can you feel it?\u00a0 It’s the first Saturday of the best three weeks in sports, and we have a TON of intrigue today.\u00a0 Duke – UNC might be the “big” game for most of the country, but we here in the CTC are obviously much more excited for Tennessee Tech – Morehead State and Loyola Marymount – Santa Clara.\u00a0 A lot of CTC points are going to be handed out today, so we’re in for a nice ride.<\/p>\n

BIG SOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP <\/strong>(16 points)<\/em><\/span>
\nCoastal Carolina held on against VMI, while Asheville knocked off a feisty High Point team to set up the Big South title game, where the first of the 68-team field will be crowned<\/p>\n

#1 Coastal Carolina vs. #3 UNC-Asheville<\/em>
\nThis game should be really interesting.\u00a0 In a story exclusively broke by our own crack reporter, Doogan, CCU has lost its three best players, but still has a lot of remaining talent.\u00a0 They will try and cut through the controversy and become the first of the 68-team field (unless, Princeton beats Harvard in Amherst today, in which case the Tigers will clinch the Ivy about an hour before this game wraps up).\u00a0 But, to do that, CCU will have to deal with the red-hot Bulldogs of UNC-Asheville.\u00a0 As big as this may be for the two teams involved and the Big South conference, it is probably even bigger for the CTC.\u00a0 There are 16 points at stake here and we have some split opinions.\u00a0 Doogan, Alexi, Waters, and Primm all have UNC-A.\u00a0 Bry, J, Stri, Lynch, Lohse, Lil Lohse, Scoot, Rikey, Dave, Gross, and Mac all have CCU.\u00a0 The 2011 CTC Big South title will be won by either Bry of Doogan.\u00a0 A UNC-A win gives it to Doogan; a CCU win will give Bry his 2nd CTC Big South title in 3 years.<\/p>\n

FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 UNC-Asheville 60 – Coastal Carolina 47<\/strong>
\nUNC-Asheville is officially the first team to qualify for the NCAA Tournament with a 13-point win over the Chanticleers of CCU.\u00a0 While, Asheville never trailed all game, it was close from the very start until about 1:30 left when they pulled away.\u00a0 Coastal always seemed one play away from taking control of the game, but their 21 turnovers were just too much to overcome.\u00a0 Doogan, Alexi, Waters, and Primm all nailed the Big South champion.\u00a0 Doogan clinched his first ever CTC Big South championship.<\/p>\n

ATLANTIC SUN CHAMPIONSHIP<\/strong> (16 points)<\/em><\/span>
\nMore craziness in the A-Sun tournament this year, but at least this time it didn’t involve the top-seed, like it has in the past.\u00a0 The Belmont Bruins and their 29 wins will try and make it 30 and advance to The Dance (where I would not want to be the high seed that has to play them).\u00a0 They will have to go through the Cinderella of the year, the Ospreys of N. Florida.<\/p>\n

#1 Belmont\u00a0vs. #6 N. Florida\u00a0<\/em>
\nBry, Waters, KA, and Scoot have all already lost this game (each with a different incorrect pick), and no one has N. Florida here.\u00a0 The other 16 entries have Belmont.\u00a0 J, Dan, and Dave are all tied for the A-Sun lead right now and that won’t change.\u00a0 The three of them will share the title – the only question is whether or not they will do it with 42 points or 58.\u00a0 J sure knows his A-Sun basketball, as this will be his 3rd A-Sun championship in\u00a0the 4 years on the website\u00a0(he won back-to-back titles in ’08-09).<\/p>\n

FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 Belmont 87 – N. Florida 46<\/strong>
\nAh, a good ole fashioned ass-kicking.\u00a0 Belmont outrebounded UNF 37-18 and forced 22 turnovers.\u00a0 Ya, it wasn’t even a game.\u00a0 The Bruins have 30 wins and are going dancing.<\/p>\n

OHIO VALLEY CHAMPIONSHIP <\/span><\/strong>(16 points)
\n<\/span><\/em>In the OVC semis last night, one\u00a0favorite won and one favorite\u00a0was upset.\u00a0 If you told me that was going to happen, I would have been pretty sure we’d be previewing a Murray State – Austin Peay OVC final.\u00a0 But, no…<\/p>\n

#2 Morehead State vs. #4 Tennessee Tech<\/em>
\nKenneth Faried and his regular Eagles are one step away from the Big Dance – and they don’t have to go through their nemesis, Murray State.\u00a0 But, Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles have been playing very good basketball lately and will not roll over.\u00a0 For the CTC, J is currenly leading the OVC and has Morehead State winning the title, so an Eagles win here will give him his second consecutive CTC OVC title.\u00a0 Alexi, as the only one with Tennessee Tech winning this tournament, would take the OVC crown with\u00a0a Golden Eagles win.\u00a0 (I should stop using the nicknames in this one, it’s confusing.)\u00a0 Other than J, Doogan, Waters, KA, Teddy, and Dave would grab the 16\u00a0points from a Morehead victory.<\/p>\n

*FINAL SCORE: Morehead St. 80 – Tennessee Tech 73
\n<\/strong>Kenneth Faried came through with 24 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks to lead his Morehead St. team back to the tourney.\u00a0 That gives the rebounding machine another opportunity to audition for NBA scouts on the national stage.\u00a0 Tennessee Tech made a very late comeback, but they fell just short of the unlikely title.\u00a0 As noted above, J takes the OVC for the second straight year, while Doogan, Waters, KA, Teddy, and Dave also hit this champ pick correctly.<\/p>\n

MISSOURI VALLEY SEMIFINALS <\/span><\/strong>(24 points each)
\n<\/span><\/em>The Arch Madness quarterfinals gave us some great games, with three of the four games finishing within one possession and\u00a0last-second victories by the 1- and 3-seeds to stay alive and avoid elimination.\u00a0 Today’s semifinal double-header should be fantastic.<\/p>\n

#1 Missouri State vs. #5 Creighton\u00a0<\/em>
\nMissouri State survived the early game yesterday in a 58-56 win over S. Illinois.\u00a0 The Bears made a furious comeback to keep their title hopes alive.\u00a0 Creighton pulled off a mild upset in knocking off 4-seeded and defending champions, N. Iowa.\u00a0 Today, the Blue Jays have an even taller order against #1 MSU.\u00a0 This is a pretty huge game for the CTC, actually, as the winner here will get 24 points (plus upset points if Creighton).\u00a0 And, to make it more dramatic, everyone still has a horse in this race.\u00a0 Lynch, KA, Teddy, Dave, Primm, and Gross all have Creighton in what would be a great upset pick.\u00a0 None of them have the Blue Jays winning the title.\u00a0 The other 14 entries have Missouri State here, with Waters, Lil Lohse, Scoot, Cheryl, and Dan having the Bears winning this tournament.<\/p>\n

FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 Missouri State 60 – Creighton 50<\/strong>
\nAfter an underwhelming quarterfinal win yesterday, and a slow first half today, the Bears finally looked like the #1 seed\u00a0midway through the second half.\u00a0 Down by as many as 8 points in the second half,\u00a0MSU went on a 15-2 run to take a 52-44 lead with under 5 minutes left and held on.\u00a0\u00a0Jermaine Mallett stepped up with 18 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.\u00a0 6 people missed the upset pick here, while 5 others kept their champion alive.\u00a0<\/p>\n

#2 Wichita State\u00a0vs. #3 Indiana State\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe Shockers had the only relatively easy quartefinal game yesterday, knocking off Bradley, 70-56.\u00a0 Indiana State gave us a thriller in the nightcap, as Jake Odum hit a buzzer-beater to get ISU to the semis.\u00a0 Scoot and Cheryl have already lost this game, with Evansville, but everyone else has a shot to pick up these 24 points.\u00a0 16 entries have WSU in this one (13 of whom have WSU winning it all).\u00a0 Only Alexi and Primm have Indiana State here – and they both have the Sycamores winning it all.<\/p>\n

FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 Indiana State 61 – Wichita State 54<\/strong>
\nAfter an ugly first half, Indiana State found its offense just in time and came from double-digits down to eliminate the Shockers and move on to tomorrow’s MVC title game against Missouri State.\u00a0 Wichita, who swept ISU in the regular season, just couldn’t make shots down the stretch.\u00a0 As good as they are, this season, that will almost assuredly end outside of the NCAA tournament, is just another example of how college basketball is won with point guard play.\u00a0 Their only weakness all year was at the point where Demetric Williams, Joe Ragland, or even Toure Murry were supposed to be able to run the team and none of them really stepped up.\u00a0 It is disappointing because this team has a TON of talent and should be in the field of 68.\u00a0 Alexi and Primm come up huge with the upset pick here, and both keep their finalist alive.\u00a0 13 entries lost their MVC champion here.<\/p>\n

HORIZON LEAGUE SEMIFINALS<\/strong> (24 points each)<\/em><\/span>
\nAs much as I love Arch Madness and as great as the quarduple-header is in the CAA today, the one conference I might be most looking forward to today is the Horizon semifinal double-header.\u00a0 It is fascinating, with two great mid-major teams (Butler and CSU), one very good mid-major team (Valpo), and one solid mid-major playing on their home floor (UW-Milwaukee).<\/p>\n

#2 Butler vs. #3 Cleveland State\u00a0<\/em>
\nButler may or may not be a good at-large at this point, but they are hoping to make it a moot point by winning the Horizon.\u00a0 CSU is almost definitely out of the at-large possibilities, so they need to win this tournament.\u00a0 This is the game of the day, as far as I’m concerned, and I’m very much looking forward to the matchup between Norris Cole and whomever Butler decides to put on him –\u00a0most likely Ronald Nored, but possibly Shelvin Mack, someone else, or a combination.\u00a0 Lynch has Cleveland State winning this tournament, while Cheryl and Primm have them reaching the finals.\u00a0<\/p>\n

FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 Butler 76 – Cleveland State 68\u00a0<\/strong>
\nEveryone else has Butler in this one, many of whom have them winning it all.\u00a0 While Norris Cole dropped 26 and the CSU defense turned Butler over 14 times, the Bulldogs just had too much firepower for the Vikings.\u00a0 18 for Shawn Vanzant; 15 for Shelvin Mack; and, 14 for Matt Howard led Butler to Tuesday night’s championship game in the Horizon.\u00a0 If Valpo upsets UW-Milwaukee it the late game, the final will be at Hinkle Fieldhouse.\u00a0 This was a tough loss for Lynch, who lost his champion.\u00a0 Cheryl and Primm both lost finalists here.<\/p>\n

#1 UW-Milwaukee vs. #4 Valparaiso\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe argument can be made that, on the whole, UW-Milwaukee is the 5th or 6th most talented team in the Horizon this year.\u00a0 But, they won enough games (including a season sweep of Butler) to earn the top-seed and the homecourt advantage for as long as they survive.\u00a0 Valpo is probably the better team, but they had a tough game last night and are playing in a hostile arena, in which they lost 79-76 just two weeks ago.\u00a0 This is a HUGE game for CTC implications.\u00a0 19 of the 20 entries have a shot to win this game (Gross is the only one who cannot earn any CTC points here, as he had Detroit).\u00a0 7 people have Valpo (J, Alexi, Waters, Lohse, Lil Lohse, Teddy, and Mac), while the other 12 have UWM.\u00a0 Mac, however, has the most at stake with the Crusaders, as he has them winning this tournament.<\/p>\n

FINAL SCORE: UW-Milwaukee 70 – Valparaiso 63
\n<\/strong>It was a single-digit lead all game, but top-seeded Milwaukee gets it done and will host Butler in the title game.\u00a0 Valpo fans will wait another year for the second-coming of Bryce Drew.\u00a0 That’s too bad for Mac, as his champ goes down.<\/p>\n

COLONIAL QUARTERFINALS<\/strong> (12 points each)<\/em><\/span>
\nA great quadruple-header on the Baltimore Comcast, with the familiar voice of the great Scott Graham calling the action.\u00a0 Yes, I’d say there is a pretty good chance that we’ll be tuned in my house today.<\/p>\n

#1 George Mason vs. #9 Georgia State<\/em>
\nThe top-seeded Patriots enter the CAA tournament today, and they do so as with a national ranking attached to their name.\u00a0 The Patriots are starting to reap the benefits from the recruiting bump that they enjoyed from the Final Four run and beautiful brand-new building.\u00a0 This program is not likely to go away any time soon.\u00a0 Georgia State knocked off #8 UNC-Wilmington yesterday, 58-52, and bring a hard-nosed, defensive-oriented style to the mix today.\u00a0 This Panthers style is really tricky this time of year because they are hard to score against and will knock you around physically.\u00a0 The Patriots are not usually a team that can be rattled, but you never know when the bright lights of March start shining.\u00a0 Georgia State has never made the CAA semis, so they will try and make history today.\u00a0\u00a0No one in the CTC thinks they will, as all 20 entries have Mason here.<\/p>\n

FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 George Mason 68 – Georgia State 45<\/strong>
\nLooking at the final score, it is probably hard to believe how close this game was for most of the first half.\u00a0 Georgia State was looking like they really could give the Pats trouble, but then Mason turned it on and absolutely dominated the second half, which included a 22-2 run at one point.\u00a0 Everyone got this right and 13 people kept the champ alive.<\/p>\n

#4 VCU vs. #5 Drexel<\/em>
\nDrexel nearly laid an egg yesterday against 0-18 Towson, but they survived because the Tigers are just so adept at losing games.\u00a0 But, if the Dragons play even half as poorly as they did yesterday, they could get blown out of the gym today by a very good VCU team.\u00a0 The big matchup in what could be a great <\/em>game is inside with Philly product Samme Givens of Drexel battling VCU’s versatile big Jamie Skeen.\u00a0 Skeen, who played a year at Wake Forest before transferring, was actually a perimeter player for the Deacons and is now a dominant big in the CAA.\u00a0 This game has some pretty big CTC implications.\u00a0 The majority of the field (11 – J, Stri, Lynch, Lohse, Lil Lohse, KA, Cheryl, Dave, Gersh, Primm, and Mac) actually have Drexel in this one.\u00a0 Teddy has already lost it (Towson), and the other 8 have VCU.\u00a0 Lynch and Dave even have Drexel in the finals.\u00a0 This is a major swing game in the CTC.<\/p>\n

FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 VCU 62 – Drexel 60<\/strong>
\nA great game that where no one led more than a couple points all day ended with a Jamie Skeen turnaround jumper at the buzzer to eliminate the Dragons.\u00a0 Skeen had 24 & 8 for the Rams.\u00a0 Sophomore Drexel star Chris Fouch, who has battled injury all year, had 20 points and 7 boards from the backcourt, including a game-tying 3-pointer with :13 seconds left that set the stage for Skeen’s heroics.\u00a0 Tomorrow, VCU will get another shot at George Mason in the semis.\u00a0 In a very important game for the CTC, the supporters of VCU come through, and Lynch and Dave lose a finalist.\u00a0<\/p>\n

#2 Old Dominion vs. #7 Delaware\u00a0<\/em>
\nWith all the hoopla surrounding George Mason and their winning streak, VCU and their talent, and bit-time players like Charles Jenkins at Hofstra and Denzel Bowles at JMU, everyone seems to forget about ODU in this conference.\u00a0 But, these guys are really good.\u00a0 They have a ton of overall talent (pure scorers in Hassell and Bazemore, a solid big in Finney, and an excellent floor general in Darius James), but the best part is how committed they are on the defensive end.\u00a0 This team is probably fine for an at-large bid, but they always want more.\u00a0 It is a prideful program that had an excellent season.\u00a0 The Blue Hens survived some really shaky play down the stretch last night against Northeastern and will have to step up their game quite a bit to compete with a good Monarchs team.\u00a0 19 entries have ODU winning this game (including Bry, Lynch, Teddy, Dave, and Gross who have them winning it all).\u00a0 The lone UD supporter is KA, who would gain 42 points on the whole rest of the field if they can pull it off.<\/p>\n

FINAL SCORE: Old Dominion 59 – Delaware 50
\n<\/strong>A valiant effort from Jawan Carter and the Blue Hens but, in the end, too much talent on the ODU roster for them to hang.\u00a0 Bry, Lynch, Teddy, Dave, and Gross all keep their CAA champ alive.<\/p>\n

#3 Hofstra vs. #11 William & Mary\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe Tribe of W&M pulled off a big upset last night against #6 James Madison (who has a history of first-round disappoinments under coach Matt Brady) robbing us of what would have been a terrific matchup of superstars.\u00a0 But, this game should be pretty good regardless as Hofstra’s Charles Jenkins can matchup with Quinn McDowell for supremacy in this one.\u00a0 Stri and Teddy have a huge upset pick of W&M here (which will be worth 60 points if it comes through).\u00a0 J, Doogan, Scoot, Dave, Primm, Gross, and Mac have already lost this game (JMU).\u00a0 Everyone else has Hofstra.\u00a0 Waters and KA have the prideful Flying Dutchmen winning this tournament.<\/p>\n

FINAL SCORE: Hofstra 72 – William & Mary 56
\n<\/strong>It was looking like the 4th CAA game of the day might produce the first upset, as W&M took a lead into the half, but Hofstra flipped the switch in the 2nd half and advanced easily, setting up two nice games in the CAA semifinals.\u00a0 Waters and KA keep their champ moving.<\/p>\n

WCC QUARTERFINALS <\/strong>(8 points each)<\/em><\/span>
\nWith the opening round late last night on the Left Coast, we are now down to 6 WCC teams.\u00a0 Two more enter the fray today to take on yesterday’s winners.\u00a0 The two teams everyone awaits (St. Mary’s and Gonzaga) will enter the war tomorrow.<\/p>\n

#4 Santa Clara vs. # 8 Loyola Marymount<\/em>
\nSanta Clara had a decent season, including a nice win over Gonzaga.\u00a0 They tied with Portland and own the tiebreaker to get 4th and the bye – which proved to be huge, as the Pilots went down to an upset yesterday at the hands of LMU.\u00a0 Today, the Lions will try to do the same to Santa Clara, with the winner earning a date with #1 St. Mary’s in the semis.\u00a0 Doogan and KA have a really nice upset pick here of LMU.\u00a0 Bry, Cheryl, Dan, Gersh, and Mac all have Santa Clara.\u00a0 Everyone else has already lost this game, having picked Portland.<\/p>\n

*FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 Santa Clara 76 – Loyola Marymount 68<\/strong>
\nIn a game that was close pretty much the whole way, SC came through at the end and will move on to the semis, where they will face #1 St. Mary’s.\u00a0 It is hard to win any game, let alone a close postseason game, when you shoot 14-for-29 from the free throw line.\u00a0 Well, that is what LMU shot tonight and that is part of the reason they are going home.\u00a0 Doogan and KA missed out on a good upset pick here.\u00a0<\/p>\n

#3 San Francisco vs. #6 Pepperdine\u00a0<\/em>
\nWhat\u00a0a great season for the Dons, led by Michael Williams, who is probably the best player in program history…slightly better than some guy named Bill Russell.\u00a0 Seriously, though, the Dons were outstanding this year under up-and-coming coach Tony Barbee (you may remember him from the great UMass teams of the past).\u00a0 Pepperdine struggled but held on against a bad San Diego team last night.\u00a0 The winner of this game will get Gonzaga in the semis.\u00a0 Doogan, Lynch, Lohse, KA, Teddy, and Gross all have Pepperdine in this game.\u00a0 Dave, Waters, and Stri all had USD winning this game, so they’ve already lost it.\u00a0 Everyone else has USF.\u00a0 Cheryl and Primm went with the Dons to win the whole tournament, so this is a big game for them.<\/p>\n

*FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 San Francisco 76\u00a0– Pepperdine 59<\/strong>
\nSan Francisco shot 56% from the floor and held the Waves to 32% in this completely domination.\u00a0 USF will advance to the semifinals against a Gonzaga team which they beat in overtime on January 22.\u00a0 Cheryl and Primm keep their WCC champion alive.\u00a0 6 people missed the upset pick here.<\/p>\n

SoCON QUARTERFINALS <\/span><\/strong>(8 points each)
\n<\/span><\/em>After four somewhat forgettable opening round games yesterday, the SoCon gets into full swing as the top four teams enter the tournament and it gets down to business.<\/p>\n

#1N W. Carolina vs. #5N UNC-Greensboro<\/em>
\nW. Carolina came out of nowhere to win the North Division.\u00a0 The Catamounts have been red-hot down the stretch and now enter the tournament as, while not the favorites,\u00a0a somewhat strong contender to take this crown.\u00a0 UNC-Greensboro upset Davidson yesterday, which led to a ton of busted brackets in the CTC.\u00a0 They will try and even the score by knocking of WCU today.\u00a0 Dave is the only one with UNC-Greensboro winning again today, so if they do, he will gain 40 points on the rest of the field.\u00a0 Bry, J, Stri, Alexi, Lynch, Lohse, Teddy, Scoot, Primm, and Mac have already lost this game with Davidson.\u00a0 Everyone else has WCU.\u00a0 Lil Lohse and Cheryl have the most at stake, as they have the Catamounts winning the SoCon.<\/p>\n

FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 W. Carolina 77 – UNC-Greesboro 66
\n<\/strong>The Catamounts pretty much had their way with UNC-Greensboro and\u00a0cruise into the SoCon’s\u00a0final four.\u00a0 Lil Lohse and Cheryl should be pleased\u00a0with this performance, as they keep their champ alive.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

#2S Wofford vs. #3N Appalachian State\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe defending champion Wofford Terriers had another excellent season, tying with College of Charleston for the South Division title.\u00a0 App State was supposed to win the North Division, but struggled all year to find\u00a0consistent scoring and slipped to 3rd.\u00a0 They did knock off Georgia-Southern yesterday in the opening round and have a chance to save their season if they can grab three more wins.\u00a0 J, Doogan, Lohse, and Cheryl have App State in this upset.\u00a0 Lohse actually has them winning it all.\u00a0 Everyone else has Wofford here.\u00a0 Stri, Dave, Gersh, Gross, and Mac all have Wofford winning this title, so someone is going to lose a champion here, be it Lohse or those 5.<\/p>\n

FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 Wofford 69 – Appalachian State 56<\/strong>
\nNoah Dahlman (the brother of Michigan State reserve Isaiah) is one of the best players in the SoCon.\u00a0 And, he showed it today, scoring 21 points for the defending SoCon champs in their quarterfinal win over App State.\u00a0 A couple CTC’ers lost this upset bid, but no one lost more than Lohse, who lost his SoCon champ here.<\/p>\n

#2N Chattanooga vs. #3S Furman\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe host Moccasins of Chattanooga take on a really good Furman team that handled Samford yesterday to get here.\u00a0 Chattanooga had a decent year, but probably wouldn’t have finished in the top 4 of the South Division.\u00a0 We’ll test that theory today, as the South Division’s 3rd place team battles them with a lot on the line.\u00a0 J, Doogan, Dave, Gersh, and Gross all have Furman in the upset here.\u00a0 Everyone else has Chattanooga.\u00a0 Like the previous game, someone will lose a champion here.\u00a0 KA has Chattanooga winning it all; Doogan has Furman.<\/p>\n

FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 Furman 61 – Chattanooga 52
\n<\/strong>Furman goes into Chattanooga and jumps out to a 13-0 lead and then holds on for the W.\u00a0 Doogan keeps his champ alive, while J, Dave, Gersh, and Gross pick up this upset.<\/p>\n

#1S College of Charleston vs. #4N Elon\u00a0<\/em>
\nAnd the SoCon’s best team will entertain Elon in the nightcap.\u00a0 Andrew Goudelock (a must-see superstar) and the top-seeded Cougars were dynamic all season, including a dominating win over Tennessee in the non-conference.\u00a0 Elon took care of The Citadel last night to get a shot here.\u00a0 Cheryl took a bold shot here at an Elon upset and will gain 36 on everyone if it comes through, plus it will eliminate the most popular championship pick.<\/p>\n

*FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 College of Charleston 78 – Elon 60<\/strong>
\nGoudelock dropped 25 on Elon, and the Cougars will advance to the semis to take on Furman.\u00a0 This game was pretty much over from the start, as the Cougars scored the first 7 points and led 16-6 and never looked back.\u00a0 Everyone except Cheryl got this one right, and a slew of entries keep their champion pick alive.<\/p>\n

MAAC QUARTERFINALS <\/strong>(4 points each)<\/em><\/span>
\nAfter the two opening round games last night, the MAAC is ready to welcome the full slate to Bridgeport for a quarterfinal quadruple-header today.<\/p>\n

#4 St. Peter’s vs. #5 Loyola (MD)<\/em>
\nThe St. Peter’s Peacocks were what they were this year.\u00a0 They never slipped up against teams worse than them, but they also rarely stepped up to beat a team ahead of them.\u00a0 Loyola, on the other hand, was a very dangerous team to the top dogs, but was always open to the shocking loss from a bottom-feeder.\u00a0 Recently, these teams have been going in slightly opposite directions.\u00a0 Loyola has been playing the best basketball as of late, where it looks like the Peacocks may have peaked earlier in the season.\u00a0 Most CTC’ers went with Loyola in the upset here, as only Waters, Lynch, Cheryl, Dan, Rikey, Dave, Primm, and Mac have the Peacocks.\u00a0 The rest has the mild upset pick of the Greyhounds.\u00a0 Primm has St. Peter’s winning the whole tournament, while Lynch has them in the finals.\u00a0 J, Alexi, KA, and Gross all have Loyola in the finals, though none have them winning it.<\/p>\n

FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 St. Peter’s 70 – Loyola (MD) 60<\/strong>
\nThe Peacocks held Loyola to just 33% shooting and forced 15 turnovers in a nice win for the MAAC’s 4-seed.\u00a0 Up by double-figures for most of the game, St. Peter’s had to survive a furious run late in the second half, but their defense was too good for Loyola to come all the way back.\u00a0 The Peacocks will move on the semis.\u00a0 Primm kept his MAAC champ alive; Lynch kept alive his finalist.\u00a0 A lot of entries missed this upset pick here.<\/p>\n

#1 Fairfield vs. #9 Marist\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe top-seeded Stags of Fairfield were rather dominant in the MAAC regular season this year.\u00a0 At 15-3, they won the conference by two full games.\u00a0 As the #1 seed, they get the chance to battle a 5-26 Marist team in the quarters.\u00a0 KA has a huge upset pick of Marist here; everyone else has FU.\u00a0 Bry, Waters, Dan, and Rikey all have Fairfield winning the tournament.\u00a0<\/p>\n

FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 Fairfield 55 – Marist 31
\n<\/strong>Fairfield shows off why they’re the top seed in this tourney, forcing Marist into 29% shooting and grabbing an incredible 19 steals.\u00a0 Marist oughta be banned from next year’s tournament for this display.\u00a0 KA’s upset bid falls well short.<\/p>\n

#2 Iona vs. #7 Siena\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe Iona Gaels are red-hot heading into the tournament.\u00a0 They had won 4 in a row heading into the BracketBusters weekend, where they pounded a solid Liberty team.\u00a0 Then they returned to MAAC play to win at St. Peter’s and beat #1 Fairfield at home.\u00a0 The Gaels seem to have hit their stride at just the right time.\u00a0 On the other hand, Siena is struggling and they almost capped off a terrible season with a loss in the first round to dreadful Manhattan.\u00a0 They needed OT to survive an untalented Jaspers team.\u00a0 This could be a huge swing game in the MAAC CTC.\u00a0 Bry, Waters, Lohse, Teddy, Dan, and Dave all have the Saints pulling off the upset.\u00a0 Dan even has them in the finals.\u00a0 On the other side, Iona is, by far, the most popular MAAC champion pick, as J, Doogan, Lynch, Lil Lohse, KA, Scoot, Gersh, Gross, and Mac all have the Gaels cutting down the nets on Monday night.\u00a0 This game has some serious implications to the CTC.<\/p>\n

FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 Iona 94 – Siena 64
\n<\/strong>Fairfield did it with defense and Iona responds with a display of offensive firepower, shooting 58% en route to a romp of the once mighty Saints.\u00a0 Dan loses a finalist and nearly half the field keeps their champ alive.<\/p>\n

#3 Rider vs. #6 Canisius<\/em>
\nAnother red-hot team is Rider.\u00a0 The Broncs enter the tournament winners of 7 of their last 8 and 5 in a row.\u00a0 Canisius, who had no expectations in the preseason, played really well down the stretch to earn the bye position.\u00a0 Rider is a legit title contender in this league, and Alexi, Lohse, Teddy, Cheryl, and Dave all have them winning it.\u00a0 J, Doogan, Lil Lohse, Primm, and Gross all have Canisius in this upset.<\/p>\n

*FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 Rider 79\u00a0– Canisius 64<\/strong>
\nIn a game that was a lot closer than the final score may indicate, the Broncs of Rider move on to the semis, where they will battle Iona.\u00a0 There was bad news, however, for the Broncs today, as their starting point guard, Justin Thompson, was suspended from the team for an undisclosed violation of team rules.\u00a0 It will be interesting to see how this affects them against Iona tomorrow.\u00a0 Without Williams tonight, the Broncs put 4 different players in double-figures.\u00a0 Canisius’s season comes to a close, as do the careers of its starting five, who are all seniors.\u00a0 5 people missed on the upset here, while 5 others keep alive their champion.<\/p>\n

AMERICA EAST QUARTERFINALS<\/strong> (4 points each)<\/em><\/span>
\nBinghamton’s trouncing of UMBC on Thursday night\u00a0rounds out theA-East final eight, who will play down to four in a quadruple-header in Hartford today.<\/p>\n

#4 Albany vs. #5 Stony Brook<\/em>
\nA somewhat disappointing season for Stony Brook was supposed to end with a real shot at the conference title.\u00a0 But, they finished fifth in the Am East and are stuck in the 4-5 game here in the quarters.\u00a0 The Great Danes of Albany have been pretty decent in a back-and-forth Am East regular season.\u00a0 After the top two, this tournament is pretty wide open, so the winner of this game may only need one big\u00a0upset to win this thing.\u00a0 Bry, Doogan, Alexi, Waters, Scoot, Rikey, Dave, and Primm all have the mild upset pick of SB in this one.\u00a0 Dave and Doogan have them winning again in the semis.\u00a0 J is the only one that has Albany going any further than this, as he has them in the finals.<\/p>\n

FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 Stony Brook 67 – Albany 61<\/strong>
\nStony Brook led most of the way here, but the Great Danes wouldn’t go away, cutting what was as much as a 12-point lead down to with :46 seconds left, but they did not score again and the Seawolves iced the game at the free throw line.\u00a0 Tim Ambrose had 24 for Albany, while SB was led by the “other” Chris Martin with 18.\u00a0 8 of the 20 CTC’ers hit this mild upset pick.\u00a0 J lost the most, having Albany in the finals.<\/p>\n

#1 Vermont vs. #9 Binghamton<\/em>
\nThis was supposed to be a bit of a retooling year in Burlington, but\u00a0the Catamounts pretty much dominated the Am East from start to finish.\u00a0 With 13 league wins and 22 overall, it was a surprisingly great year at UVM, led by a couple of really big bodies that are very hard to match up against for a low-major conference team.\u00a0 Binghamton, who may never recover from the atrocious recruiting issues stemming from that transfer-led tournament team a few years ago, salvaged a little pride by hammering UMBC in Thursday night’s pigtail game.\u00a0 Everyone has Vermont winning this game.\u00a0 Bry, Alexi, Lynch, Teddy, Scoot, Cheryl, Dan, Rikey, Primm, Gross, and Mac all have them winning this tournament.<\/p>\n

FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 Vermont 57 – Binghamton 46<\/strong>
\nIn what was probably not the most beautiful display of the sport.\u00a0 Binghamton shot a gaudy 26% from the field\u00a0and 26% from 3-point land (at least they’re balanced) and now they can take the rest of the year off.\u00a0 Vermont advances to tomorrow’s semis where they will get Stony Brook.\u00a0 Everyone got this right, and 11 people kept their champ alive.<\/p>\n

#2 Boston U vs. #7 New Hampshire<\/em>
\nIf there is a real serious threat to the Catamounts in this field, it is probably BU.\u00a0 The Terriers, picked to win this conference in the preseason, were solid all year, led by a dynamic duo of John Holland and Daryl Partin.\u00a0 The Terriers have the offense to blow anyone out – the real question is will they be able to get halfcourt stops.\u00a0 UNH should not be all that much of a problem in this one, as they drew the perfect matchup.\u00a0 The Wildcats are one of the worst offensive teams in all of D-1, averaging less than 59 points per game.\u00a0 Gross is the lone wolf on the UNH bandwagon here.\u00a0 Everyone else has BU, including 7 entries that have BU winning the whole tournament (J, Doogan, Waters, Lohse, Lil Lohse, KA, and Dave).<\/p>\n

*FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 Boston U 69 – New Hampshire 60<\/strong>
\nBU’s big two of Holland and Partin didn’t disappoint, as they combined for 30 as the Terriers hold on to beat UNH.\u00a0 It didn’t look good at the start, as the Wildcats jumped out to a 12-3 lead, but BU didn’t panic and came storming back to take an 8-point lead of their own into halftime.\u00a0 Out of the locker room, the Wildcats scored the first 7 points to cut the lead back to one, but BU responded and closed it out.\u00a0 Gross missed a big upset pick here, while 7 people kept alive their champion.<\/p>\n

#3 Maine vs. #6 Hartford<\/em>
\nWith BU starting slowly and a seemingly retooling Vermont, it looked like this would be the year for Maine to take control of this conference, but it just didn’t happen.\u00a0 They did finish a strong 3rd, but they seemed to be a step down from the top two teams.\u00a0 Hartford, the tournament hosts, were picked last in the preseason, but won enough games to finish 6th, avoiding the pigtail game and either of the top two teams in the quarters.\u00a0 Only 6 entries actually had the favorite in this one (Alexi, Waters, KA, Dan, Rikey, and Gersh); everyone else has the upset pick in Hartford.\u00a0 Gersh\u00a0fell hard for the Black Bears, picking\u00a0them to win the whole tournament.\u00a0<\/p>\n

*FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 Hartford 66 – Maine 63<\/strong>
\nIn a great back-and-forth affair, the Hawks come out on top and head to the semis to face BU.\u00a0 Maine led the whole first half, but only went into the locker room leading by 1.\u00a0 Hartford led for the first time 4 minutes into the second half and opened it up to 7 around the 10 minute mark.\u00a0 But, the Black Bears responded with 10 straight to take the lead back.\u00a0 Hartford immediately answered back with 8 straight of their own and never looked back.\u00a0 14 CTC’ers had this upset pick correct, while Gersh got hit the hardest by the loss, losing his champion.<\/p>\n

SUMMIT LEAGUE QUARTERFINALS<\/strong> (4 points each)<\/em><\/span>
\nI have a real affinity for the Summit League.\u00a0 Not exactly the whole Summit, but the battles between its top teams.\u00a0 Oakland, Oral Roberts, and IUPUI have really built a great three-team rivalry in this league, and this year was no exception, as, despite a strong start to the season by IPFW, those three perennial powers finished 1-2-3 in the league yet again.\u00a0 The top two teams play their quarterfinal games tonight in Sioux Falls, with the other 2 quarterfinals tomorrow night.<\/p>\n

#1 Oakland vs. #8 S. Utah<\/em>
\nOakland has been one of the dominating forces in this conference for several years now, and this may be their best team yet.\u00a0 Most people probably know about their win\u00a0@Tennessee, but what people may not know is that they nearly upset Michigan State and Illinois right before that win.\u00a0 They also played tough\u00a0@West Virginia,\u00a0@Purdue, and\u00a0@Michigan.\u00a0 They didn’t really put up much of a fight @Ohio State, but at least they got the experience of playing maybe the best team in the country.\u00a0 S. Utah, on the other hand, was pretty bad early on and then started to find a little bit of a stride.\u00a0 They are not a terrible #8-seed, but should be hard-pressed to send the Golden Grizzlies to the NIT just yet.\u00a0 19 of the 20 entries have Oakland winning this one.\u00a0 Dave is the only one that went with S. Utah.\u00a0 Most entries (everyone except Waters, KA, Dave, and Gersh) have Oakland winning this tournament.<\/p>\n

*FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 Oakland 82 – S. Utah 66<\/strong>
\nThe Golden Grizzlies take care of business, shooting 53% from the floor and going 8-for-18 from behind the arc.\u00a0 Dave misses out on a big upset, while the 16 people who have Oakland winning this tournament still have shot to be right.<\/p>\n

#2 Oral Roberts vs. #7 North Dakota State<\/em>
\nAnother one of the dominating forces in this league each year is Oral Roberts, and even though this was a bit of a down year in Tulsa, the Golden Eagles still finished second in the conference and feature a talented group of athletes, led by 6’6″ junior, do-it-all forward, Dominique Morrison.\u00a0 ND State had an interesting year where they seemed to beat up on the dregs of the Summit and get pummeled by the league’s elite.\u00a0 The one exception – an 80-74 win over ORU on January 6.\u00a0 Doogan and Primm both went for a nice upset pick here.\u00a0 Gersh, Dave, and Waters all have ORU winning this tournament.<\/p>\n

*FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 Oral Roberts 72 – North Dakota State 65<\/strong>
\n\u00a0A game that was close throughout was finally put away by a couple big threes down the stretch by Warren Niles, who had 19, and the Golden Eagles move on to the Summit semis – after the day off tomorrow.\u00a0 ND State ends a decent season with a loss over which they should not hang their heads.\u00a0 Doogan and Primm just missed a really big upset pick.\u00a0 Gersh, Dave, and Waters are fortunate that their champions are still alive.<\/p>\n

BIG SKY QUARTERFINALS <\/strong>(4 points each)<\/em><\/span>
\nThe Big Sky is, a lot of the time, a forgotten tournament.\u00a0 Maybe because of its smallish, 6-team field that is played right in the thick of a lot of other action around the country, or maybe because people don’t realize that there is some quality basketball played in this conference.\u00a0 But, either way, it tends to get lost in the shuffle (even here in the CTC, at times).\u00a0 This year, the quarterfinals will be in Flagstaff, AZ (UNA), and Ogden, UT (WSU), with the semis and finals played in Greeley, CO.\u00a0 It should be interesting to see if the altitude of the Rockies affects this tournament at all, as “the other UNC” is undefeated at home this year.<\/p>\n

#4 N. Arizona vs. #5 Montana State<\/em>
\nThese two teams are clearly moving in completely opposite directions.\u00a0\u00a0NAU got off to a really slow start in league play, while the Bobcats of Montana State came out like gangbusters.\u00a0 But, at some point in the middle of the season, both of their fortunes changed and now\u00a0NAU is on the rise and MSU is in a free-fall.\u00a0 If the season had 10 more games to it,\u00a0NAU would likely win the league, while MSU might finish near or at the bottom with the likes of Sacramento State and Idaho State.\u00a0 Scoot and Dan are the only two with the MSU upset pick here, while a ton of people have a lot of love for the Lumberjacks.\u00a0 Alexi, Lynch, Teddy, and Mac all have\u00a0NAU winning the whole thing.\u00a0 Waters, Lohse, KA, Dave, Gross, and Gersh all have them going to the finals, but losing.<\/p>\n

*FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 N. Arizona 65 – Montana State 62<\/strong>
\nAll night long it looked like many Big Sky brackets across the CTC were going to be busted with this one.\u00a0 Montana State led pretty much the entire way and by as much as 16 points in the second half, but NAU came all the way back thanks to the red-hot second half shooting of Eric Platt.\u00a0 Platt, who had 20 points for the game, hit 3 straight threes in the final 3:30, including the game-winner with under a minute left.\u00a0 NAU will now play #1 N. Colorado next week in the semis.\u00a0 Scoot and Dan missed upset picks, while Alexi, Lynch, Teddy, and Mac all have NAU winning the whole thing.\u00a0 This must have been a great game to see in person…<\/p>\n

#3 Weber St. vs. #6 E. Washington<\/em>
\nLike the Lumberjacks of UNA, Weber State was expected to contend for a league title and just may have had they not lost a couple close games early in the year.\u00a0 Arguably the two most talented teams in the league are the two home teams tonight, while two others (N. Colorado and Montana) await the winners here in the semis.\u00a0 E. Washington made a late run just to qualify for the tournament, holding off Portland State for the final spot in the draw.\u00a0 Alexi and Primm both went with the upset pick here of EW.\u00a0 Alexi actually has EW in the finals.\u00a0 There is, like UNA, a lot of love for Weber State here too.\u00a0 Lohse, Scoot, Gross, and Gersh all have WSU winning the tournament.\u00a0 Doogan, Lohse, Lil Lohse, KA, Scoot, Cheryl, and Gersh all have Weber in the finals.<\/p>\n

*FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 Weber State 79 – E. Washington 70<\/strong>
\nTwo games in the Big Sky tonight, and two eerily similar results.\u00a0 NAU, at home, overcame a 16-point deficit to advance to the semis next week.\u00a0 Well, across the Arizona-Utah state line, Weber State did almost the exact same Houdini act.\u00a0 E. Washington had them all but done, leading by 15 relatively late in the second half, but Weber came all the way back to actually win by 9.\u00a0 E. Washington’s Cliff Colimon has 22 points AT HALFTIME, but only finished with 27.\u00a0 Weber State draws #2 Montana in Greeley, CO, in the 2-3 semifinal matchup.\u00a0 Alexi and Primm both missed a nice\u00a0big upset pick here, while Lohse, Scoot, Gersh, and Gross all survived their champion.<\/p>\n

SUN BELT OPENING ROUND <\/strong>(2 points each)<\/em><\/span>
\nWith the University of New Orleans dropping down to D-III, the Sun Belt tournament in Hot Springs, AR, has gone from an intriguing tournament because of its novelty of a 13-team field to just another cookie-cutter 12-team, 2-division type setup.\u00a0 That certainly doesn’t take away from the intrigue that this league normally brings to March (though, one could argue that the inconsistency of some of its more prominent\/touted teams this year has stripped a lot of the intrigue away).\u00a0 Well, the two-site format here gives us a pair of simultaneous double-headers instead of day-long quadruple-headers.\u00a0 Hey, whatever sells you the most tickets, people.\u00a0 As for the CTC, this conference is nuts.\u00a0 It is so wide-open and the CTC brackets show that.\u00a0 They are all over the place.<\/p>\n

#4W N. Texas vs. #5E Troy<\/em>
\nThe Mean Green of N. Texas were picked to win this conference in the preseason and had an outstanding non-conference schedule.\u00a0 They entered conference play as – far and away – the favorites to win the league.\u00a0 Then, they just started losing.\u00a0 It was an absolute shock.\u00a0 Troy, on the other hand, was picked to finish last in the league and started that way, but started playing really well towards the end.\u00a0 The winner of this game will get #1 FL-Atlantic.\u00a0 More than any other opening round game that I can remember in CTC history, this game could break some serious brackets.\u00a0 Dave has N. Texas winning this game and upsetting FAU in the quarters.\u00a0 Teddy has them beating FAU and then winning again to reach the finals.\u00a0 And, Lohse and Cheryl actually have this #8-seed going all the way to the title game and winning.\u00a0 Unprecedented for a #8-seed.\u00a0 Bry, Alexi, Lynch, KA, Dan, and Gross all have Troy in the upset in this round.<\/p>\n

*FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 N. Texas 83 – Troy 69<\/strong>
\nIt was unclear whether or not the Mean Green would circle the wagons and really show up in Hot Springs, or if they would just pack up the tents and call it a season.\u00a0 Well, if tonight is any indication, this team might be the most dangerous 8-seed in the country, although they did only lead by one midway through the second half against an 8-21 team.\u00a0 Either way, we will definitely find out tomorrow when N. Texas gets to face top-seeded FL-Atlantic in the quarters.\u00a0 The incredible amount of love for the Mean Green in the CTC is one step closer to being rewarded.<\/p>\n

#3E W. Kentucky vs. #6W LA-Monroe<\/em>
\nThe Hilltoppers are usually the class of this conference, but the beginning of this season, it looked like they might be the doormat.\u00a0 However, they righted the ship and started to play really well down the stretch.\u00a0 They take on a LA-Monroe team that was bad at the beginning of the year, the middle of the year, and the end of the year.\u00a0 The winner of this game will play the other “class of the conference” team, LA-Lafayette in the quarters.\u00a0 Nobody has ULM in this game, but the love for WKU is all over the map.\u00a0 Waters, Lynch, KA, Scoot, Cheryl, Dan, Rikey, Primm, and Gross all have the Hilltoppers winning the next round.\u00a0 Dan, Primm, and Gross have them in the finals.\u00a0 Dan has them winning it all.<\/p>\n

*FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 W. Kentucky 66 – LA-Monroe 50<\/strong>
\nWhile struggling to find much offense at all, the Hilltoppers had nothing to worry about on this night, as LA-Monroe is just a really bad D-I team.\u00a0 But, they get their arch-rival LA-Lafayette tomorrow night in the quarters and will need a better offensive effort if they are to advance.\u00a0 Dan would certainly like them to advance, as he has WKU winning this thing.<\/p>\n

#3W Denver vs. #6E FL-International<\/em>
\nAt the beginning of the season, Denver looked like they were going to be the real surprise team in the conference, but they completely fell apart down the stretch.\u00a0 FIU was bad all year – maybe they need Isaiah Thompson.\u00a0 The winner of this game will play #3 Middle Tennessee in the quarters.\u00a0 A bunch of people went for this big upset pick – Bry, Doogan, Waters, Lohse, Lil Lohse, Dan, Gersh, Gross, and Mac.\u00a0 Dan actually has them winning again in the quarters.\u00a0 KA and Dave both have Denver going to the semis.<\/p>\n

*FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 FL-International 53 – Denver 49
\n<\/strong>It would be hard to even make up something interesting to say about a game with 102 total points between two really bad D-I teams, so I won’t.\u00a0 What I will say is that 9 people nailed this big upset pick, and Dan is alive to maybe get another one with FIU in their quarterfinal tomorrow against Middle Tennessee<\/span><\/p>\n

#4E S. Alabama vs. #5W AR-Little Rock<\/em>
\nUSA has fallen back, as a program, after a couple years of national prominence out of the Sun\u00a0Belt.\u00a0 UALR has not been relevant in a while.\u00a0 Both teams struggled pretty much all season, but UALR pulled off a couple surprising performances throughout the season.\u00a0 The winner of this game will get Arkansas State tomorrow night in the quarters.\u00a0 Bry, Doogan, KA, Teddy, Scoot, Cheryl, and Primm all have UALR in the upset.\u00a0 Gersh is the only one that has Arkansas State losing to either of these teams in the quarters – he has USA.<\/p>\n

*FINAL SCORE:\u00a0 AR-Little Rock 82 – S. Alabama 68<\/strong>
\nSolomon Bozeman exploded for 28 points for UALR, as they will move on to face in-state rival Arkansas State in the quarters tomorrow.\u00a0 Gersh lost a semifinalist in this game, while 7 people hit this upset pick.<\/p>\n

CTC SNAPSHOT – SUMMIT LEAGUE<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Championship Picks<\/p>\n