There were contributions up and down the roster, but when Miami needed a bucket, it was Angel Rodriguez or Sheldon McClellan delivering in the clutch. When the bracket came out, two teams that have beaten Baylor in the NCAA tournament in the past five years – Texas A&M in 2011’s Elite Eight and Louisville in 2013’s Sweet 16 – were projected to make it to this regional.
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Considering the top-shelf competition, it was one of Villanova’s most dominating performances in the NCAA Tournament, evoking memories of Jack Kraft and the 1971 team that advanced to the national title game with a 90-47 blowout of Penn and Dick Harter.
Washington’s starters say they’re prepared for the heavy workload because they’ve been dealing with it all season.
When a No. 9 seed like Wichita State (2013) or No. 11 like George Mason (2006) makes a run to the Final Four, that’s a true Cinderella story for the fans – one that makes them happy and the NCAA powers that be uncomfortable. Reaching the Sweet 16 is no easy feat, but the Terrapins and Cyclones had two of the easiest paths needing only to knock of No. 12 and No. 13 seeds to advance.
“I think it was our best game of the year”, Arcidiacono said. What makes the Wildcats so risky is the way that they spread the floor and of their starting five, four players are shooting over 35% from three-point range. It was officially the greatest last-minute comeback in college basketball history.
Both of these teams are in a similar situation as Michigan State a year ago. May be the two most talented teams left, would have been a great title game. The Upper Marlboro, MD. native is the definition of a stretch four as he can handle the ball well and can shoot the lights out from deep.
“I really think they can go a long way”. The Oklahoma State transfer is quick for a big-man and has shown his versatility to be able to defend not only in the paint, but on the outside as well.
Bonner said he expects Iowa State and Virginia to be very competitive. Center late Thursday night.
Furthermore, Jenkins, Arcidiancono, Hart and the rest of the bunch all exhibit a willingness to gamble because of Daniel Ochefu’s presence inside.
“The most important game is the game against Miami”. Virginia, for example, has a tough matchup in against Iowa State in the Sweet 16. There’s no one better than Buddy.
The short sample size of NCAA Tournament play can create some statistical oddities. Need a basket, a rebound, a blocked shot – anything, really – Johnson is your guy. Slowing down Villanova offensive attack will be critical for Miami. On the other hand, the Big Ten has been the most disappointing conference, despite having three teams still alive. And the Wildcats also performed better against tougher competition. If Jekiri can stay out of foul trouble, Villanova won’t have the kind of freedom in the lane against the Canes. Tournament action resumes Thursday night. The Big 12, which for three years running has had seven of its 10 teams in the NCAA Tournament, hasn’t won a Sweet Sixteen game since 2012.
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Although Cal was slated to be without top scorer Ty Wallace and learned right before the start of the game that they would be without junior guard Jabari Bird, Hawaii’s win probability was merely 27 percent to start the contest. Yale sank both free throws to cap off the four-point victory. According to Kenpom statistics, the ‘Canes look to him on 28 percent of their possessions, more than any player on the roster. “We focused on what we had to do going forward”. Last weekend, longtime St. Joseph’s coach Phil Martelli summed up the consensus on what he knew about the much-maligned No. 1 seed: “This is my livelihood, and until I heard on the broadcast that they had finished No. 5 [in the nation] I had no idea.” 14. The 6-foot-1 guard has played 26.5 minutes per game in the NCAA Tournament, which is more than twice his season average of 12.3.
