March arrives, and brings some Madness
Posted: Saturday, March 01, 2008 5:27 PM
Filed Under:
Links roundups, March Madness
Ah, March. It’s a welcome sight.
Right on cue, the month gave use a handful of great games, some upsets and some milestones. Surely this bodes well for the Big Dance.
Oddly enough, we’ve seen both of these milestones earlier this season. Still trying to decide which one is a more impressive feat.
Coach K joined the 800 wins club once Duke got its act together in the final minutes for an 87-86 win against N.C. State. Watched all of this game and couldn’t decide if the Devils don’t like playing early (unlike since they do it on Sundays, too) or if the Wolfpack, for once, just played well. Going with the latter.
As for Coach K, he joined Bob Knight, Dean Smith, Adolph Rupp, Jim Phelan and Eddie Sutton as the only men’s D-I coaches to reach that plateau. For a guy who wins 75 percent of the games his coaches, expect Coach K to pass his mentor, Knight, in about four seasons. Also, 1,000 wins remains a possibility.
The Fordham women’s team, on the other hand reached territory only New Jersey Tech had broached. A 29-loss season. A 66-27 loss to George Washington was the Lady Rams’ 33rd straight defeat, a tough ending for the young squad. The good news? Fordham is well short of the NCAA record for consecutive losses over multiple seasons, 58 by Long Island University from 1987-89.
Saturday’s biggest upset was Texas Tech’s home win against No. 5 Texas. The Longhorns has won seven straight while the Red Raiders were coming off the worst loss in school history. Yet ESPN’s Doug Gottlieb called this one. Not sure he knew Tech would do it with 34 made FTs and in spite of 30 points from D.J. Augustin, but give the guy credit. Rather, give Tech and Pat Knight credit. (Do it now before the loss to KU on Monday.)
Still, forget that game. The most entertaining were three rallies.
North Carolina outscored B.C. 32-8 in an 11-minute span – without any of coming from Tyler Hansbrough – for a 90-80 victory. Did I mention Tyrese Rice scored 46 points in the loss? That it was Ty Lawson’s first game back? That UNC is 27-2 and primed for a March run? All three are true.
UNC looked great in its win. Georgetown did not. But win the Hoyas did, somehow. Playing at home, Marquette dominated throughout, got a season-high 22 points from normally average Wesley Matthews, and watched Hoyas throw away two late possessions. Didn’t matter. The Hoyas, like they’ve done all season, looked average, but were in it at the end when Dominic James fouled Jonathan Wallace on a 3 with 2.8 seconds left in regulation. Wallace hit all 3 free throws, the game went to OT and that was it. Georgetown doesn’t look like the same team that went to last year’s Final Four, yet at 24-4 and atop the Big East, how can they be that much different?
A similar ending likely ended Syracuse’s NCAA Tournament hopes when Pitt’s Sam Young stole the ball from Paul Harris, fed Keith Benjamin and the Panthers escaped with an 82-77 win. Jim Boeheim hollered foul, both to the refs and the seeding committee. At 17-12, the Orange have to win the Big East tourney to be dancin’.
Also, Brook Lopez improved his NBA draft stock, Memphis continues its perfect streak in C-USA, Drake closed out its best regular-season since the lone year it reached the Final Four, and Kent State and Vandy took Saturday off.
How does it all tie into the bigger March picture? That post is coming Monday, with bubble teams, darkhorses and more. Until then, I’ll be sending good thoughts to the ultimate symbol of March.
