{"id":514,"date":"2010-03-25T19:10:14","date_gmt":"2010-03-26T00:10:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.broadstreetbelievers.com\/?p=514"},"modified":"2010-03-26T07:38:47","modified_gmt":"2010-03-26T12:38:47","slug":"live-blog-2010-sweet-sixteen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/?p=514","title":{"rendered":"Live Blog: 2010 Sweet Sixteen, Day One"},"content":{"rendered":"

7:04:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, here we go.\u00a0 The Sweet Sixteen is simply awesome.\u00a0 In the first double-header we have Syracuse-Butler and West Virginia-Washington.\u00a0 Should be two good ones, obviously.\u00a0 It should be very interesting to see how Butler deals with the Syracuse 2-3 zone.\u00a0 I don’t think they’ll be too intimidated by the situation because these Butler guys have been through a lot of big games together.\u00a0 It seems like Matt Howard has been there forever.<\/p>\n

7:09:<\/strong>\u00a0 One\u00a0big thing to watch is Syracuse’s bigs against Howard and the bigs on Butler.\u00a0 Howard is pretty foul-prone, but without Onuaku, it should be interesting to see if Jackson and company can be effective enough on offense to get Howard in trouble.<\/p>\n

7:14:<\/strong>\u00a0 I’m about to load up cbssports.com to watch the West Virginia game as well.\u00a0 I would say that thing to watch there is who is going to guard Isiah Thomas.\u00a0 I don’t think the Truck Bryant injury for West Virginia is as bad as it may seem on the offensive end because Mizzoula is just as effective as a floor leader, but defensively, it would be nice to have the athleticism of Truck to match Isiah Thomas of the Huskies.<\/p>\n

7:18:<\/strong>\u00a0 A couple of quick picks for tonight, I like Syracuse to take care of Butler.\u00a0 I like West Virginia to find a way to harrass and frustrate UW.\u00a0 Then later, I think K-State is going to handle an underrated, but overmatched Xavier team.\u00a0 And, then in the nightcap, I have no idea.\u00a0 This Kentucky-Cornell game might be, from a basketball standpoint, the most interesting matchup I can remember.\u00a0 All freshmen versus all seniors.\u00a0 One-and-done kids versus Ivy Leaguers.\u00a0 The meteoric rise of Calipari to the slow-and-steady apprentice-laden rise of Steve Donohue.\u00a0 Personally, I can’t wait.<\/p>\n

7:21:<\/strong>\u00a0 Pretty amazing how efficient Butler has been offensively so far and how incredibly inefficient Syracuse has been.\u00a0 The Orange better be careful.\u00a0 This is not a team that will be scared of the moment and not\u00a0a team that you want to fall behind too much\u00a0because of their ability to take care of the basketball and knock down free throws.\u00a0 Obviously, you can’t lose a game with 34 minutes left, but they might want to be a bit careful here.<\/p>\n

7:27:<\/strong>\u00a0 Wow, pretty curious move by CBS here.\u00a0 Unless Baltimore is considered “West Virginia country,” it looks like the national game is the West Virginia-Washington game.\u00a0 I am very surprised by that because I would think that Syracuse would be the biggest draw of the early games, but oh well.\u00a0 At least we have cbssports.com, so it no longer matters.\u00a0 Just curious.<\/p>\n

7:29:<\/strong>\u00a0 So the Carrier Dome looks empty tonight for the Sweet Sixteen.\u00a0 I wonder why.\u00a0 I’m sure it has nothing<\/em> to do with the fact that Syracuse just happens to be playing right now.\u00a0 Haha, that’s kind of funny actually.<\/p>\n

7:34:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, I could be totally wrong about the offensive problems of WV without Bryant because they do not look good against the pressure early.\u00a0 They can’t turn the ball over or take quick shots because Washington can fly.\u00a0 I don’t think this would be a huge upset for the Huskies–they have Sweet Sixteen\/Elite Eight talent.<\/p>\n

7:40:<\/strong>\u00a0 This Syracuse game is just going to keep reminding me how dumb I am when in our tourament player pool, I dropped Shelvin Mack after the draft was over to pick up Brandon Triche.\u00a0 I deserve this.<\/p>\n

7:43:<\/strong>\u00a0 Say what you will about Bobby Huggins, the guy can flat-out coach.\u00a0 Look at Cincinnati before he came and then after he left.\u00a0 And, now look what he’s done for his alma mater, West Virginia.\u00a0 I’d be surprised if they aren’t a perennial Big East title contender for as long as he wants to coach.\u00a0 There is a lot to say about Huggins from a lot of different perspectives, but on-the-court is not one of them.<\/p>\n

7:52:<\/strong>\u00a0 Though West Virginia doesn’t look good right now, the pace is just what they want.\u00a0 UW wants a game in the 80’s, while the M’neers are comfortable in the 50’s.\u00a0 On the other side, Syracuse just can’t find any rhythm whatsoever.\u00a0 I don’t know if it’s great Butler D or just a bad half for the ‘Cuse, but there’s something wrong with the Orange’s O right now.<\/p>\n

7:55:<\/strong>\u00a0 Now, I love the little guy (as you probably know if you’ve read anything on this blog from me about college hoops), but even I am rather surprised how good Butler looked in that first half.\u00a0 This team can flat-out play, but Syracuse’s length and athleticism should be enough to keep Butler at arm’s length, but it’s just not happening.\u00a0 Is it possible that even the biggest fan of the “little guy” (me) has them a bit underrated?\u00a0 This game makes me think that we might actually get one or more of Butler, St. Mary’s, Cornell, or N. Iowa in Indianapolis.<\/p>\n

7:59:<\/strong>\u00a0 So, now Isiah Thomas has a broken hand?\u00a0\u00a0Can anyone remember a tournament that has had so many important injuries before and during the tournament?\u00a0 I keep thinking about Kenyon Martin, but that was only one guy–probably only slightly more important than the Hummel injury.\u00a0 Now, we have Bryant and Kalin Lucas and Onuaku.\u00a0 Crazy.<\/p>\n

8:17:<\/strong>\u00a0 Now, I don’t like Syracuse, and I’m not necessarily an Andy Rautins fan, but how great is it to watch him shoot the ball?\u00a0 It’s the same feeling I had watching JJ Reddick shoot.\u00a0 I’m not saying he’s as good as Reddick was, but watching these guys shoot is just awesome because it’s so pure.<\/p>\n

8:27:<\/strong>\u00a0 Syracuse make a huge run and takes the lead.\u00a0 I think Butler coach Brad Stevens took too long to call that TO.\u00a0 It’s too late now.\u00a0 Watching the second half of the Michigan St.-Maryland game last week really showed me how good coaches can control the game with timeouts and substitutions.\u00a0 Gary Williams put on an absolute clinic of exactly how to use timeouts to affect the game.\u00a0 Stevens waited about two possessions too long there to stem the tide.\u00a0 Now, the huddle is down and possibly frightened.\u00a0 This is a big spot in this game right now.\u00a0 We’ll see how the veteran Butler team responds.<\/p>\n

8:38:<\/strong>\u00a0 Man, it sucks right now to have both of these games going on at the same time.\u00a0 They are both getting VERY good right now.<\/p>\n

8:45:<\/strong>\u00a0 Ya know, I never really thought this until now (in fact, if you had asked me, I’d probably have said the opposite), but Lorenzo Romar is probably a pretty good coach, huh?\u00a0 I mean it’s not like he’s sitting on a ton of history or sitting in a powerhouse high school basketball city, yet he still always seems to have decent talent that does well.\u00a0 Should we start thinking of Romar as one of the better coaches around the country, even though it seems like he’s not that good, for some reason?<\/p>\n

8:51:<\/strong>\u00a0 It’s amazing how many times bad shots lead to easy baskets on the other end.\u00a0 When you take a shot out of the flow of the offense, no one is ready for what is to come, and therefore, you’re a step late either getting to the board or getting back on D.\u00a0 That bad shot by Hahn led to a fastbreak basket, and now Butler looks to be the one in a lot of trouble here.<\/p>\n

8:54:<\/strong>\u00a0 If you’re Butler right now, you have to go after either Jackson or Rautins on D.\u00a0 They both have four fouls and the ‘Cuse is so shallow right now, that one more foul by either of those two could be a game-changer.<\/p>\n

8:55:<\/strong>\u00a0 Back east, West Virginia is just keeping this game exactly how they want it.\u00a0 It’s been a defensive struggle and they look very comfortable with this style.\u00a0 Washington has been out of rhythm all game–mostly a credit to the solid WVU defense.\u00a0 I see a 61-54 win for the ‘Neers.<\/p>\n

8:57:<\/strong>\u00a0 Oh yeah, Doogan, Gus is definitely warming up right now.<\/p>\n

9:01:<\/strong>\u00a0 WOW!\u00a0 In these last 90 seconds, one team has looked like the team grizzled with a tough conference season that is used to playing in front of 20,000+ and one team has looked like the team for which the moment was just too big.\u00a0 I’ll give you a hint, the latter wasn’t Butler.<\/p>\n

9:13:<\/strong>\u00a0 I hate to keep signing the exact same tune, but these little guys can f’ing play, folks.\u00a0 Butler just flat-out beat the vaunted Big East’s best team.\u00a0 I hope the Committee is watching.\u00a0 Now…let’s go Cornell!<\/p>\n

9:37:<\/strong>\u00a0 Nice workmanlike win for West Virginia, as they move on to the Elite Eight on Saturday.\u00a0 The KState-Xavier game is about to start.\u00a0 This is an interesting matchup where I think Kansas St. just has a lot more depth of talent.\u00a0 The key for Xavier is two-fold–(1) they have to get a lot from Jordan Crawford, but they won’t win it with just him, so they need to (2) get some solid minutes from the bigs (Freese and Love) on the offensive end and guys like Holloway have to really get in the shorts of the K-State guards.\u00a0 On the other end, the Wildcats are just stacked this year.\u00a0 Their guards are great, but they also have some pretty solid forwards like Kelly and Samuels.\u00a0 But, they win with Pullen and Clemente.<\/p>\n

9:52:<\/strong>\u00a0 So, yeah, this K-State team is pretty solid, eh?\u00a0 The only thing they don’t have is a certifiable big man in the pivot.\u00a0 But, other than that, this team really has it all.\u00a0 They are going to be the proverbial “tough out” in any round.\u00a0 With Syracuse going down tonight and Kansas last week, this side of the bracket is wide open.\u00a0 Might KSU be the overall favorite to win this thing all of a sudden?\u00a0 I wrote yesterday that Ohio St. is the new favorite, but what about K-State?\u00a0 I can see this being a national title team; I really can.<\/p>\n

10:06:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, here we go.\u00a0 The more I think about this game, the more I get excited about it.\u00a0 I have idea what to think about it.\u00a0 All I know is that it’s going to be unbelievably fascinating.\u00a0 I guess it probably all depends on whether Cornell can keep it close enough to get the freshmen agitated and pressured.\u00a0 Wow!\u00a0 This is going to be good.<\/p>\n

10:13:<\/strong>\u00a0 Pretty much a picture-perfect start for the Big Red.\u00a0 This just in…they’re good.<\/p>\n

10:15:<\/strong>\u00a0 Meanwhile, Xavier has climbed right back into this game with K-State.\u00a0 Again, everyone forgets about how good of a program X is.\u00a0 It is them and Michigan St. as the only two Sweet 16 teams that have been in the Sweet 16 for a third straight year.<\/p>\n

10:20:<\/strong>\u00a0 Phenomenal response by Kentucky to put a little dent in the confidence of the smart kids.<\/p>\n

10:22:<\/strong>\u00a0 As good as Jordan Crawford is, I hate his body language sometimes.\u00a0 He mopes and pouts all over the court at times.\u00a0 I heard some time that a team’s personality is one-half the personality of its head coach and one-half that of its best player.\u00a0 I don’t like the half of Xavier that reflects its best player.<\/p>\n

10:23:<\/strong>\u00a0 There.\u00a0 Just as I was writing that, Crawford glared at Dante Jackson, his teammate, for throwing a poor pass.\u00a0 Come on, Jordan, it’s the Sweet Sixteen, be a leader.<\/p>\n

10:29:<\/strong>\u00a0 Kentucky is doing exactly what Temple and (I’m guessing) Wisconsin could not–they are getting out on every shooter.\u00a0 Yes, Cornell was making very long jumpers against the Owls, but they were open.\u00a0 These guys will make open shots anywhere.\u00a0 But the Wildcats are getting on the shooters.<\/p>\n

10:38:<\/strong>\u00a0 Why is Jeff Foote, a 7’0″ two-time conference defensive player of the year, NOT guarding\u00a0Kentucky’s best big man, DeMarcus Cousins?<\/p>\n

10:44:<\/strong>\u00a0 Let us just stop and think, for a minute, just how good this Kentucky team would be with Jodie Meeks.\u00a0 The one knock on them is outside shooting.\u00a0 Well, Meeks, a pure jump-shooter, dropped 50 in a game last year.\u00a0 They might rival the best college team I’ve ever seen–1992 UNLV.<\/p>\n

10:53:<\/strong>\u00a0 So UK ends the half on a 30-6 run…wow!<\/p>\n

11:15:<\/strong>\u00a0 Louis Dale looks lost tonight for Cornell.<\/p>\n

11:31:<\/strong>\u00a0 Body language or not, Crawford is nasty.\u00a0 And, Gus is warming himself back up for another thrilling finish here in Syracuse.<\/p>\n

11:35:<\/strong>\u00a0 Wow!\u00a0 Clemente has just taken this game over.<\/p>\n

11:42:<\/strong>\u00a0 This game is incredible–just back and forth, back and forth.\u00a0 UNREAL!<\/p>\n

11:48:<\/strong>\u00a0 And…here comes Cornell against Kentucky.\u00a0 Wow, this is gonna be good.<\/p>\n

11:52:<\/strong>\u00a0 Pullen nails two clutch free throws.\u00a0 FTs, like big putts in golf tournaments, always amaze me when guys just nail them.\u00a0 I was a pretty good free-throw shooter in my day, but with the biggest game of my life on the line, I have no idea if I’d be able to make two pure shots.\u00a0 It always impresses me.<\/p>\n

11:53:<\/strong>\u00a0 GODDAMMIT!!!\u00a0 How many times do I have to rail on coaches for fouling in this situation?!?\u00a0 It’s so f’ing stupid.<\/p>\n

11:56:<\/strong>\u00a0 I love Len Elmore–he’s probably my favorite color man–but he’s gotta stop with attacking the ref for that no-call on Holloway.\u00a0 You can’t expect the ref to call the reach-in in that situation.\u00a0 But, goddammit, how many games have to be lost by coaches not trusting their defense to stop a three-pointer?\u00a0 STOP FOULING UP BY THREE!!!\u00a0 PLEASE……………….<\/p>\n

12:04:<\/strong>\u00a0 You just saw the difference between Crawford and Hollaway there.\u00a0 Crawford puts his hands up and stares at the ref in disgust after a questionable foul call; Holloway calls to his teammates to rally them in this critical juncture in overtime.\u00a0 You need both guys on your team–the super talent of Crawford and the emotional leader of Holloway.\u00a0 You can’t win without both.<\/p>\n

12:10:<\/strong>\u00a0 There is only one word for all of this:\u00a0 MADNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!\u00a0 This is an absolutely phenomenal game.\u00a0 What a shot by Crawford.\u00a0 Holy crap.<\/p>\n

12:13:<\/strong>\u00a0 And, the best part about this is that Gus Johnson was chosen to do these two games.<\/p>\n

12:14:<\/strong>\u00a0 How great has Curtis Kelly been?\u00a0 Every time I watched K-State this year, I was blown away by Kelly, but he never seemed to get any pub, so I figured that he was just an athletic, inconsistent guy–which might still be true.\u00a0 But, when I see him, he is an absolute STUD.<\/p>\n

12:19:<\/strong>\u00a0 Instant classic.<\/p>\n

12:20:<\/strong>\u00a0 And, why can’t Len Elmore get the fact that Kelly just got hit in the balls.\u00a0 We’ve all been there–and wish we hadn’t.<\/p>\n

12:22:<\/strong>\u00a0 I hate that Buffalo Wild Wings commercial, but right now, I want that bartender to keep sending this game into more overtimes.\u00a0 This is what makes the month of March so incredible.\u00a0 Thank you, Madness, thank you.<\/p>\n

12:27:<\/strong>\u00a0 I always say that the best regular-season game I’ve ever seen was back in ’07 between Oklahoma St. and Texas.\u00a0 Taking situation out of the equation and that was the most exciting, amazing basketball game I’ve ever seen.\u00a0 Well, this one is just as good, if not better, and it is a Sweet Sixteen game.\u00a0 Madness!<\/p>\n

12:33:<\/strong>\u00a0 All in all, a pretty successful season for the A-10…and it’s not yet over, as Dayton and Rhode Island are in opposite NIT semifinals Tuesday night.\u00a0 I definitely had visions of the first A-10 Final Four since Marcus Camby, but it wasn’t meant to be.\u00a0 The better team won tonight, but just barely.\u00a0 What a night.\u00a0 And, we get to come back in about 18 hours and do it all over again tomorrow night.\u00a0 I’ll probably be back tomorrow for some bloggin’, but we’ll see.\u00a0 Good night, friends.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

7:04:\u00a0 Well, here we go.\u00a0 The Sweet Sixteen is simply awesome.\u00a0 In the first double-header we have Syracuse-Butler and West Virginia-Washington.\u00a0 Should be two good ones, obviously.\u00a0 It should be very interesting to see how Butler deals with the Syracuse … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-514","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-college-hoops"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/514","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=514"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/514\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=514"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=514"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}