- I guess J.R. Reynolds’ hip is feeling better! Talk about lighting it up. It’s amazing how much better Virginia is when he’s hitting shots. Sean Singletary will always be dangerous with the ball – quickness doesn’t come and go – but his effectiveness is limited if the team has no other threat.
- I mentioned before that all I really wanted from Virginia this year was one tourney win. Just one. Win one game and I’d be satisfied even if they bowed out in the second round. And now after they have won that one game … I still feel the same way. A win over Tennessee on Sunday would be suhweet, but I won’t be devastated if they lose. It’s a nice place for a fan to be!
- And how about Tennessee and Virginia’s performances? I was extremely pleased that the Cavs went out and won by 27 points, their third-largest margin of victory on the season. And then the Vols went out and won by 35, scoring 121 points in the process! That makes Virginia’s win seem modest. But at the same time, I’m still hopeful because UVA played well and their defense will be a whole lot better than what UT saw yesterday.
- I picked Illinois to upset Virginia Tech, largely because of their defense (and just gut feeling), but I still pulled for the Hokies. I was almost right and Illinois did play some of the best D I’ve seen in the tourney, but I was impressed by how the Hokies responded. Once they switched to the full-court press with about 5 minutes left, they completely dominated the game. It’s always interesting to see how a change in defensive philosophy to be more aggressive can change the complexion of a game on both ends of the floor.
- I’m pissed at myself for not picking Winthrop. Before the field was even announced, I had planned on having them win at least one game. I was impressed with how they played against UNC earlier this year and they’ve been to the tourney so much lately that I knew they were ready to take the next step. But then I talked myself out of it. I heard everyone else picking them to upset Notre Dame and then I saw that the Domers actually had a good Pomeroy rating, so I caved. My bad.
- Another mistake I made – not accounting for Georgia Tech’s horrendous play away from home. They should have won that game yesterday, but they simply don’t play well outside of Atlanta. It’s hard to explain. Obviously they have some youth, but they are more experienced than a lot of teams. Unfortunately for Paul Hewitt, he may not get a chance to mold all of that talent. I bet Thad Young skips out to the NBA, even though his stock has surely dropped since last year.
- How sweet would it have been if Wisconsin had dropped that game? I don’t know why it is, but I just love watching the Big Ten fail in the NCAA Tournament. It’s not like I hate the schools in that league, but for some reason, I find it funny to see them struggle at the end of the year. I think it stems from those two consecutive seasons in the early 90s when the Big Ten failed to get a single team in the Sweet Sixteen.
- Arizona may just be the worst team with four NBA-caliber players in the history of college basketball. Their season was a disgrace. Remember that when you see any list of great college coaches that includes Lute Olsen. He’s a great recruiter and a very good program manager, but he’s an average-at-best basketball coach.
- The ACC went 5-2 in the first round. Not too bad. That’s about what I expected, although I certainly hoped for more. The real test comes now. Carolina, Maryland and Virginia are all seeded to win, but none have an easy game. Hell, the Hokies might actually have the easiest opponent in Southern Illinois, but the Salukis are pretty darn good.
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