Hoops Houdini Has Half

Pristine Pittsburgh fed off the fiery play of LeVance Fields to overcome a deficit and defeat Xavier last night. I could watch Fields in his dew gray digs all night the player is so captivating to the cranium. LeVance drained a three point shot with 50 seconds left that all but sealed the significant but uneasy win. DeJuan Blair’s sure-handed steal of Xavier senior, B.J.Raymond, facilitated the shot in the final minute. Sean Miller’s Xavier team took it to the wire but unquestionable strategy of shooting behind the arch enabled the Panthers to creep back. The Muskies missed easy lay ups and inside shots in the second half. The Panthers have been winning games holding on by a hair all post-season. They have a way of rallying that is unprecedented. Pittsburgh, with their backs constantly against the wall, find ways to beat anybody. The key against the Musketeers was cutting the points allowed in the second half. The Panthers permitted only 18 points after halftime. Pitt reaches the Elite 8 for the first time in school history. Jamie Dixon has his team poised to pounce and punch a ticket to Detroit.
Fascinating Fields was just one of the Big East players dominating the fine play of last night’s Sweet 16. His teammate Blair had 17 rebounds. The Big East took care of business, with three teams moving on and the entire East bracket is now represented by the conference. The unambiguous brackets are shaping up fine for me, with the best conference winning three of three games last night. Kudos to the Big 12 for having three of their own remaining in the tourney.
I correctly guessed all four teams, so I am halfway there in my Elite 8 prognostication. I wouldn’t call myself a magician, but I was one of the few actually picking Missouri to upset Memphis. Memphis had a chip on their shoulder since the start of the tournament but I have the Big 12 Champion Missouri Tigers making the Final Four. It is their first trip back to the Elite 8 round in 7 years. Mike Anderson’s club, while he coached UAB, was the last team to knock out John Calipari in a conference divisional game. Anderson’s Missouri men, led by J.T. Tiller, did the same thing last night in a game they once led by as much as 19 points. Once Mizzou settled into a groove, they did not look back or let up. The Tigers simply sprinted. You have to commend the Tigers for scoring 102 points against the best defensive team in the nation. It was the first time in nine years the team gave up over 100 points. Memphis missed 14 free throws and could not defend against a Tiger attack. Calipari’s timid team could not claw their way back even though Tyreke Evans gave a serviceable presentation. The 27 game winning streak, longest in the nation, went down the tubes as quick as the Missouri Tigers were able to get to the basket against Memphis. Calipari and his fans glorified this team but where are the Memphis chants and backers now?
The coy, crisp, confident but controversial Connecticut did not trail one second during their dominating victory against Purdue. Purdue failed to shoot inside as well as A.J. Price, Hasheem Thabeet and the Huskies. Price and Thabeet each had 15 points. AJ is the anchor and Thabeet the oar for the Big East‘s number one seed. The Boilermakers could not overcome the size of the Huskies but incorporated a few opportunities to take the lead. Whenever they came close, Purdue was punished by Thabeet and his double-double performance. I have Connecticut falling to Missouri Saturday in the next round of play. Even though they are offensively astounding and have more experience in big games, the Tigers are a complex puzzle on the hardwood. I think Missouri is capable of countering the Connecticut assault. Both teams are mightily ambitious however.
Dante Cunningham had a hand in the 77-54 Villanova crushing of Duke. Cunningham had 11 rebounds in out dueling the Devils. Surging Scottie Reynolds added 16 buckets. The Wildcats put the nail in the coffin in Boston in the second half of the game. It was not as close as I thought it would be. Duke could not hit their shots. The Devils developed some leeway early but all breathing room went to under-sized Villanova late. Duke went on a five point run to begin the contest but the lead was erased on the ensuing Wildcat drive. The candid shooting of Villanova proved too much for depleted Duke. The Wildcats’ perimeter defense dictated the tempo of the game. Even Reggie Redding came off the bench to factor into the Nova knockout. The zone-oriented, thrashing Wildcats embarrassed Duke offensively. I was imploring the ACC’s number two seeded Blue Devils to score some jumpers. Coach K’s team’s 26% shooting was the lowest of the year for Duke. They looked uninspired and tepid, and fizzled at the finish line in what became a blemishing blowout.
The only reservation I have about Friday evening’s four games is the Syracuse-Oklahoma pairing. I think the Orange will squeeze out a win against Blake Griffin and the Sooners. I am picking Louisville to top ‘Zona, Kansas to down Michigan State and the Tarheels to finish off Gonzaga. The games should be good and I am looking forward to a Friday fest of fine frolic on the courts. TGIF!

Parting points: “Semi-charmed life” by Third Eye Blind

Bracket Blogging & Bragging

My Final Four picks contain two number one seeds and two Big 12 teams. Pittsburgh and Kansas are teams I favor every year. I am a sucker for Jayhawk and Panther basketball. I am also a supporting fan of both coaches, Jamie Dixon of Pitt, and Bill Self of Kansas. So, it’s no surprise to me I’ve selected both to represent their regions in the NCAA Final Four in Detroit.
My other two teams with the best chance to reach the finals are North Carolina and Missouri. I chose the Tigers out of the West region based on a gut feeling. Their road to the Final Four is tough because they face a potential meeting with the best defensive team in college basketball, Memphis, in the Sweet 16. If Missouri can shoot and squeeze by Cornell and the winner of Marquette-Utah State, their foe will most likely be Memphis. I believe Missouri can beat Connecticut if they face the Huskies too.
The Tarheels were an easy choice and the odds they win the championship are 7-1 last time I checked. Those are the most favorable odds of all teams, including the number one overall seed, Louisville. I am hoping for a N.C.-Syracuse match in the Elight Eight round. The South region has strong teams in Gonzaga, Syracuse and Oklahoma, but N.C. is a battle-tested, experienced squad. They do not play very good defense so that may set their chances of winning a championship back. What sets the Tarheels apart from the rest of the field is their excellent coaching and veteran players.
I always hesitate when picking the Pittsburgh Panthers in big situations, but this year’s team is just great. I liked Louisville as the overall Big East favorite team coming out of the conference championship and at the end of the season, the Cardinals got hot at the right time. I am hoping Kansas can pull of the upset and be Rick Pitino’s roadblock to a Final Four appearance. The Jayhawks just may be motivated to shut down the Cardinals in a thrilling bird basketball bloodbash. Wake Forest is a team that will challenge the Cardinals in the Midwest bracket too. Michigan State is a force as well and a team trying to earn more respect coming from the Big 10. They do not scare me, but still have the talent to compete with any of the higher seeded teams in their bracket. I am entirely excited about a second round West Virginia-Kansas pairing if it happens. WVU is underrated and mad, coming off a loss to Syracuse in the Big East semifinals. I would have enjoyed having the Mountaineers go deep into the tournament if it didn’t mean knocking of Kansas. But the luck of the draw has them meeting in the second round. I still like the chances of the defending national champion Jayhawks.
One team with an outside chance to make a run is Florida State. I think the Seminoles are a sleeper team with one of the top ACC players in point guard, Toney Douglas. Despite losing to Duke in the ACC title game, they know how to beat teams in a bunch of ways and are defensively enjoyable to watch. I don’t see Florida State getting by DuJuan Blair and the problem-posing Panthers though. Blair has a knack for knocking anyone in his way and when he is on his game, there is no one that can stop Pitt. North Carolina’s chances of beating Pitt rest on the status of Ty Lawson. He is expected to play in the tournament. Without Lawson, N.C. doesn’t stand a chance against the Panthers.
I chose Missouri to reach the Final Four because I liked what I saw from the number 3 seed coached by Mike Anderson. It will be Anderson’s first trip to the tournament so perhaps I crave a feel-good story too. The confident Tigers have a deep bench and led the nation in assists and steals. Their two leading players are forward studs, DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons. Remember those names because I think they will be impact players this March. The Tigers won the Big 12 championship and never lost two straight games during the season. Missouri is a team that likes to take risks, and that will either make or break them. The further they advance in the tournament, the more focused they have to get. They start strong and best when dictating tempo and applying pressure. The Tigers’ forte is forcing opponents to turn the ball over. J.T. Tiller is an excellent defensive guard and is perfectly capable of holding off players like Kansas’ Sherron Collins. That being said, I still can’t pick against Self and Kansas. The Jayhawks lost to Baylor in the Big 12 quarterfinals. Interestingly, Missouri had no trouble handling the Bears. But Kansas’ ability to rise to the occasion will help them master mighty Mizzou. Playing far from home could help Kansas keep distractions at a minimum. They cannot try to do too much but must stick to their game plan of consistency. Center, Cole Aldrich and guards Collins, Conner Teahan, Tyrel Reed and Tyshawn Taylor are key Kansas cogs. My concerns are their inexplicable early season losses to Arizona, Syracuse and Michigan State. They also fumbled down the stretch but so did Pittsburgh. The Panther especially disappointed during the Big East tournament. Neither team has any momentum heading into March Madness, but I am gambling on them acquiring some fairly quickly.
My final assessment is the Jayhawks facing off against the Panthers in the title game. But Kansas will not be repeat national champions. Pitt will recover in time with their frequent firepower and ball-handling to put away Kansas in the final quarter. The final score won’t even be that close. The Panthers’ up front, physical presence will be too much for Kansas. LeVance Fields runs the show in Pittsburgh and every athlete on the team, from Blair to Sam Young to Jermaine Dixon, knows how to bring it.
Last year, I correctly predicted Kansas would win it all. Not to brag, but I was right. Let’s see if the Panthers can make me look good again.

Parting points: Here’s hoping Martin Brodeur breaks Pat Roy’s record tonight against the Blackhawks.
Song of the day- “No You Girls”- Franz Ferdinand