East Region
7:15 pm EDT: (2) Miami Hurricanes vs. (3) Marquette Golden Eagles - The total of the seeds here - 5 - is tied for the lowest with Kansas vs. Michigan in the South region, Duke vs. Michigan State in the Midwest and Inianda and Syraucse in the East, meaning this should be one of the more competitive games of the tournament.
Miami relies heavily upon its defense, holding its last two opponents (Pacific and Illinois) to 49 and 59 points, respectively, and on the duo of point guard Shane Larkin and the inside-outside play of Kenny Kadji.
Marquette will counter with their own pressure, relentless ball hawking and accuracy from the field (.467), due to taking mostly good shots after lots of passes in the offensive zone. The Golden Eagles have won their last two games by a combined three points, against high level competition - Davidson and Butler. Jamil Wilson and Vander Blue have been clutch down the stretch. This one may not be very pretty, as both teams contest everything, but it should be highly entertaining.
9:45 pm EDT, (1) Indiana Hoosiers vs. (4) Syracuse Orange - Syracuse has been sporadic, sometimes looking world-beating, but often sluggish and without any offensive direction. Of course, they have one of the best in the business, coach Jim Boeheim, on the bench, so they are able to change on the fly.
The Hoosiers showed plenty of heart in their last win, a 58-52 victory over Temple. Indiana boasts nice stats: 3rd nationally in scoring (80 ppg), 7th in FG% (.486) and 24th in rebounds (38.6). Cody Zeller will have plenty of company on the boards and in the paint, as the Orange are long and tall up front. Victor Oladipo is the real wild card here. If he can slice and dice Syracuse's 2-3 zone, the Hoosiers will advance. If not, Syracuse stands a chance at the upset.
West Region
7:47 pm EDT, (2) Ohio State Buckeyes vs. (6) Arizona Wildcats - Arizona has shot 55% from the field through its first two games, the best mark in the remaining tournament field, but they did it against so-so competition (Belmont, Harvard), so they should not expect shots to be as easy to come by against the Buckeyes.
Deshaun Thomas will provide most of the offense, and Aaron Kraft is a pesky defender with quick hands and a special knack for the big play, be it a three-pointer like the one he delivered against Iowa State to win the game or a pass to an open teammate.
The buckeyes are riding a 10-game winning streak, currently the longest in the nation, which is a very big plus at this juncture.
10:17 pm EDT, (13) La Salle Explorers versus (9) Wichita State Shockers - This piece of the bracket was busted when LaSalle took out #4 seed Kansas State and in the next round, as the Shockers dumped #1 Gonzaga.
Both teams are playing their best basketball of the season at the right time and each represent the last stand for their conferences - LaSalle from the Atlantic 10; Wichita State from the Missouri Valley. Nice to see two teams from mid-majors advance this far. Besides them, the only other team remaining in the field not from a Big Six conference is Florida Gulf Coast.
Look for plenty of tempo as both teams can light it up. La Salle averages 72.4 ppg, Wichita State, 69.4. The Shockers' Cleanthony Early, if he gets it going early on, can really light it up and take over a game.
Showing posts with label Miami Hurricanes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miami Hurricanes. Show all posts
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
Shane Larkin Leads Miami to ACC Title; Hurricanes Shunned by Tourney Committee
College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, March 17, 2013
Of the four conference championships decided on Sunday, the ACC contest brought out the best shooters, and, for those who have been screaming about the lack off offense in the college game this season, the highest score.
The Hurricanes' 87-77 victory over North Carolina was the icing on the cake that saw Miami wqin its first regular season ACC title, followed up by confident victories in the tournament and a first outright title in the nine years in which its been a member of the ACC.
The game saw 25 of 51 three-point shots find their marks. Both PJ Hairston of the Tar Heels and Miami's Trey McKinney-Jones made six, but it was the small ball of Hurricane point guard Shane Larkin that carried the day. Larkin matched Hairston with 28 points, sealing the deal with six consecutive free throws without a miss in the final minute.
Larkin also made four three pointers on 8-for-15 shooting overall, was a perfect 8-for-8 from the foul line, dished seven assists, collected five rebounds and made a pair of steals. He was also the only player from either team to play all forty minutes.
While the great accomplishments of the Hurricanes this season cannot be overstated, they still did not measure up to the NCAA tournament committee's standards which saw fit to put them in as a #2 seed, albeit in the East Region, which will provide them with some semblance of court familiarity.
With the brackets set for the Big Dance, later today, College Basketball Daily will post a breakdown of some of the key first and second round games, insights into the overall tournament and picks for the Final Four and National Championship.
Of the four conference championships decided on Sunday, the ACC contest brought out the best shooters, and, for those who have been screaming about the lack off offense in the college game this season, the highest score.The Hurricanes' 87-77 victory over North Carolina was the icing on the cake that saw Miami wqin its first regular season ACC title, followed up by confident victories in the tournament and a first outright title in the nine years in which its been a member of the ACC.
The game saw 25 of 51 three-point shots find their marks. Both PJ Hairston of the Tar Heels and Miami's Trey McKinney-Jones made six, but it was the small ball of Hurricane point guard Shane Larkin that carried the day. Larkin matched Hairston with 28 points, sealing the deal with six consecutive free throws without a miss in the final minute.
Larkin also made four three pointers on 8-for-15 shooting overall, was a perfect 8-for-8 from the foul line, dished seven assists, collected five rebounds and made a pair of steals. He was also the only player from either team to play all forty minutes.
While the great accomplishments of the Hurricanes this season cannot be overstated, they still did not measure up to the NCAA tournament committee's standards which saw fit to put them in as a #2 seed, albeit in the East Region, which will provide them with some semblance of court familiarity.
With the brackets set for the Big Dance, later today, College Basketball Daily will post a breakdown of some of the key first and second round games, insights into the overall tournament and picks for the Final Four and National Championship.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Miami's Durand Scott Player of the Day; 8 More Conferences Crown Champions
College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, March 16, 2013
Miami's Durand Scott turned in the performance of the day, leading the Hurricanes into Sunday's ACC final, seeking the championship for the first time in the nine years Miami has been a member of the conference.
Scott dazzled NC State defenders with 12-for-18 shooting, making five of eight from outside the 3-point line, for a game-high 32 points. Scott was also active elsewhere, with three boards, four assists and a pair of steals. Miami's 81-71 victory was one in which they led almost the entire game.
In the final, the #9 Hurricanes will face North Carolina at 1:00 pm EDT Sunday. Miami won both meetings with the Tar Heels during the regular season and a win could result in a #1 seeding.
Recapping late action:
Louisville shredded Syracuse's vaunted 2-3 zone defense with 56 second half points, upending a 35-22 deficit to win the Big East championship going away, 78-61. The dominant win will likely land Louisville the #1 seed in the East region of the NCAA tourney.
Oregon grabbed the auomatic bid from the PAC-12, thumping UCLA, 78-69, in the conference final. The Ducks struggled though the latter half of their conference schedule, losing three of their last five, but regained their swagger in the tourney and hopefully will carry their confidence into the NCAAs.
Other conference winners (all receive automatic NCAA bids:
Chicago State 75 Houston Baptist 60 - 11-21 Cougars win Great West title.
Northwestern State 68 SF Austin 66 - Southland championship.
Montana 67 Weber State 64 - Big Sky
Pacific 64 UC Irvine 55 - Big West
New Mexico State 64 Texas-Arlington 55 - Western Athletic Conference (WAC) title.
Miami's Durand Scott turned in the performance of the day, leading the Hurricanes into Sunday's ACC final, seeking the championship for the first time in the nine years Miami has been a member of the conference.Scott dazzled NC State defenders with 12-for-18 shooting, making five of eight from outside the 3-point line, for a game-high 32 points. Scott was also active elsewhere, with three boards, four assists and a pair of steals. Miami's 81-71 victory was one in which they led almost the entire game.
In the final, the #9 Hurricanes will face North Carolina at 1:00 pm EDT Sunday. Miami won both meetings with the Tar Heels during the regular season and a win could result in a #1 seeding.
Recapping late action:
Louisville shredded Syracuse's vaunted 2-3 zone defense with 56 second half points, upending a 35-22 deficit to win the Big East championship going away, 78-61. The dominant win will likely land Louisville the #1 seed in the East region of the NCAA tourney.
Oregon grabbed the auomatic bid from the PAC-12, thumping UCLA, 78-69, in the conference final. The Ducks struggled though the latter half of their conference schedule, losing three of their last five, but regained their swagger in the tourney and hopefully will carry their confidence into the NCAAs.
Other conference winners (all receive automatic NCAA bids:
Chicago State 75 Houston Baptist 60 - 11-21 Cougars win Great West title.
Northwestern State 68 SF Austin 66 - Southland championship.
Montana 67 Weber State 64 - Big Sky
Pacific 64 UC Irvine 55 - Big West
New Mexico State 64 Texas-Arlington 55 - Western Athletic Conference (WAC) title.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Kenny Kadji Leads Miami to ACC Title; Florida Gulf Coast, Belmont, Harvard Earn NCAA Berths
College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, March 9, 2013
With regular seasons ending in some of the major conferences and a couple of minor conferences hailing tourney champions and the first entrants into the NCAA field, Saturday was a huge day for college hoops.
In the Big East, Georgetown took a share of the regular season title with Marquette and Louisville - both winners on the day - with a stunning, 61-39 rout of Syracuse, finishing up their conference schedule at 14-4. The Hoyas, Cardinals, Golden eagles and Pitt Panthers will get first round byes in the upcoming conference tourney.
Miami captured the ACC title outright with a signature 62-49 home win over Clemson to wrap up the regular season with a 15-3 mark (24-6 overall), a game better than Duke, which hammered North Carolina, 69-53.
Miami was led by Kenny Kadji, who scored 23 points and ripped down 12 boards for his third straight double-double and seventh on the season. Kadji was 6-for-11 with four three-pointers and went 7-for-9 from the stripe.
Miami and Duke head to the ACC tournament the #1 and #2 seeds, setting up a possible finals match-up that could determine a #1 seeding in the NCAAs.
Three conferences crowned champions on Saturday, the first going to Florida Gulf Coast, as they topped Mercer, 88-75, capturing the Atlantic Sun tourney and grabbing the first automatic bid to March's Big Dance.
In an ironic twist, Belmont, last season's winner of the Atlantic Sun with a victory over Florida Gulf Coast, took down Murray State in overtime, topping the Racers in overtime, 70-68, to win the Ohio Valley Conference their first year in the league.
Harvard won the Ivy League, winning their final game against Cornell, 65-56, to post an 11-3 record, but the Crimson had to wait until later in the evening to celebrate their second straight Ivy title, when Brown upset Princeton, 80-67, leaving the Tigers at 9-4 with a game yet to play, Tuesday night against Penn at Philadelphia's Palestra.
NOTABLE: Kentucky likely salvaged their season and might have possibly earned an at-large bid with a 61-57 victory over #11 Florida, the Gators having already wrapped up the SEC regular season title. The Wildcats had dropped two straight before entering Saturday's game and a win over a ranked opponent was just the tonic needed to revitalize the program.
Creighton will play Wichita State in the Missouri Valley Conference tourney final Sunday, the Blue Jays hammering Indiana State, 64-43, while the Shockers took a 66-51 decision over Illinois State in the other semi-final.
A slew of other minor conference title are up for grabs on Sunday, and a huge game is on tap for 4:00 pm EDT at Ann Arbor, Michigan, as the #7 Wolverines host #2 Indiana. A Hoosier win would give them the Big Ten title outright, while a victory by Michigan could produce a four-way tie at the top of the conference between Michigan, Indiana, Ohio State and Michigan State.
#1 Gonzaga turned a one-point half time lead into a 66-48 win in a WCC semi-final. The Zags will meet St. Mary's for the West Coast conference tourney title and the automatic NCAA bid at 9:00 pm EDT Sunday night.
With regular seasons ending in some of the major conferences and a couple of minor conferences hailing tourney champions and the first entrants into the NCAA field, Saturday was a huge day for college hoops.In the Big East, Georgetown took a share of the regular season title with Marquette and Louisville - both winners on the day - with a stunning, 61-39 rout of Syracuse, finishing up their conference schedule at 14-4. The Hoyas, Cardinals, Golden eagles and Pitt Panthers will get first round byes in the upcoming conference tourney.
Miami captured the ACC title outright with a signature 62-49 home win over Clemson to wrap up the regular season with a 15-3 mark (24-6 overall), a game better than Duke, which hammered North Carolina, 69-53.
Miami was led by Kenny Kadji, who scored 23 points and ripped down 12 boards for his third straight double-double and seventh on the season. Kadji was 6-for-11 with four three-pointers and went 7-for-9 from the stripe.
Miami and Duke head to the ACC tournament the #1 and #2 seeds, setting up a possible finals match-up that could determine a #1 seeding in the NCAAs.
Three conferences crowned champions on Saturday, the first going to Florida Gulf Coast, as they topped Mercer, 88-75, capturing the Atlantic Sun tourney and grabbing the first automatic bid to March's Big Dance.
In an ironic twist, Belmont, last season's winner of the Atlantic Sun with a victory over Florida Gulf Coast, took down Murray State in overtime, topping the Racers in overtime, 70-68, to win the Ohio Valley Conference their first year in the league.
Harvard won the Ivy League, winning their final game against Cornell, 65-56, to post an 11-3 record, but the Crimson had to wait until later in the evening to celebrate their second straight Ivy title, when Brown upset Princeton, 80-67, leaving the Tigers at 9-4 with a game yet to play, Tuesday night against Penn at Philadelphia's Palestra.
NOTABLE: Kentucky likely salvaged their season and might have possibly earned an at-large bid with a 61-57 victory over #11 Florida, the Gators having already wrapped up the SEC regular season title. The Wildcats had dropped two straight before entering Saturday's game and a win over a ranked opponent was just the tonic needed to revitalize the program.
Creighton will play Wichita State in the Missouri Valley Conference tourney final Sunday, the Blue Jays hammering Indiana State, 64-43, while the Shockers took a 66-51 decision over Illinois State in the other semi-final.
A slew of other minor conference title are up for grabs on Sunday, and a huge game is on tap for 4:00 pm EDT at Ann Arbor, Michigan, as the #7 Wolverines host #2 Indiana. A Hoosier win would give them the Big Ten title outright, while a victory by Michigan could produce a four-way tie at the top of the conference between Michigan, Indiana, Ohio State and Michigan State.
#1 Gonzaga turned a one-point half time lead into a 66-48 win in a WCC semi-final. The Zags will meet St. Mary's for the West Coast conference tourney title and the automatic NCAA bid at 9:00 pm EDT Sunday night.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Seniors Kenny Kadji and Durand Scott Lead as Hurricanes Storm #1 Duke, 90-63
College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, January 23, 2013 March is shaping up to be a wide open scramble for the crown of college hoops, as fans stormed the court in Coral Gables, Florida, where the Miami Hurricanes tore apart top-ranked Duke, 90-63, the fourth time this season a #1 team has fallen, and the second time that Duke has been the patsy.
The Hurricanes (14-3) broke open a close game early in the first half, going on a 25-1 run that turned a 14-13 deficit into a 38-15 lead and a commanding, 42-19, edge at intermission.
The final margin was the third-worst defeat eve for a #1 team and the first time Miami had ever defeated a top-ranked school. The Hurricanes suddenly find themselves all alone atop the ACC, with a 5-0 record. No other team in the conference has fewer than two losses.
A pair of senior starters accounted for more than half of the Hurricane scoring. Durand Scott poured in a game-high 25 points on 9-for-14 shooting with three 3-pointers while Kenny Kadji dominated the lane, making nine of 11 for a season-high 22 points to go with six boards.
Scott also added six rebounds and had four assists. His point toal was also a season high.
Ranked #25 in the most recent poll, the Hurricanes host Florida State on Sunday, seeking their seventh straight win. If they're successful, voters will have a difficult time keeping Miami out of the top 15.
Elsewhere around the hoops universe, #9 Butler was upended at LaSalle, 54-53, and #12 Minnesota fell to 55-48. 17th-ranked Creighton lost at Drake, 74-69.
March is shaping up to be a wide open scramble for the crown of college hoops, as fans stormed the court in Coral Gables, Florida, where the Miami Hurricanes tore apart top-ranked Duke, 90-63, the fourth time this season a #1 team has fallen, and the second time that Duke has been the patsy.The Hurricanes (14-3) broke open a close game early in the first half, going on a 25-1 run that turned a 14-13 deficit into a 38-15 lead and a commanding, 42-19, edge at intermission.
The final margin was the third-worst defeat eve for a #1 team and the first time Miami had ever defeated a top-ranked school. The Hurricanes suddenly find themselves all alone atop the ACC, with a 5-0 record. No other team in the conference has fewer than two losses.
A pair of senior starters accounted for more than half of the Hurricane scoring. Durand Scott poured in a game-high 25 points on 9-for-14 shooting with three 3-pointers while Kenny Kadji dominated the lane, making nine of 11 for a season-high 22 points to go with six boards.
Scott also added six rebounds and had four assists. His point toal was also a season high.
Ranked #25 in the most recent poll, the Hurricanes host Florida State on Sunday, seeking their seventh straight win. If they're successful, voters will have a difficult time keeping Miami out of the top 15.
Elsewhere around the hoops universe, #9 Butler was upended at LaSalle, 54-53, and #12 Minnesota fell to 55-48. 17th-ranked Creighton lost at Drake, 74-69.
Monday, February 06, 2012
Reggie Johnson Scores 27 to Lead Miami over #7 Duke
College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, February 5, 2012
There's been a theory going around college basketball this season that Duke's bigs - primarily brothers Mason and Miles Plumlee - could be handled and thus, the Blue Devils taken down a few notches in the national picture.
On Sunday, while most fans were munching on chips and pizzas in anticipation of Super Bowl XLVI, the Miami Hurricanes made their case, getting 27 and 15 points from forwards Reggie Johnson and Kenny Kadji, respectively, to take down the #7 Blue Devils in overtime, 78-74.
The victory was the first ever for Miami at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke had also been defeated by Florida State at home earlier this season, another team with a strong inside presence. Johnson, a 6'10" forward, hit on 11 of 17 shots and five of 10 free throws, and wiped the boards for 12 rebounds as well, eight of them on the offensive end, some resulting in put-backs for easy scores.
The Hurricanes built a 16-point lead in the early part of the second half, but the Blue Devils clawed back and sent the game into overtime, where Johnson scored five of his career high 27 and the Blue Devils uncharacteristically missed all six of their free throws.
Duke drops to 6-2 in the conference and 19-4 overall, while the Hurricanes improved to 5-3 in ACC play and are 14-7 on the season. Miami has won four straight - three of them on the road. The other road wins came at Georgia Tech and Boston College.
The Blue Devils have another tough test when they travel this Wednesday, February 8, to play their Tobacco Road arch-rival, North Carolina, which is tied, at 7-1, with Florida State on top of the ACC standings.
There's been a theory going around college basketball this season that Duke's bigs - primarily brothers Mason and Miles Plumlee - could be handled and thus, the Blue Devils taken down a few notches in the national picture.On Sunday, while most fans were munching on chips and pizzas in anticipation of Super Bowl XLVI, the Miami Hurricanes made their case, getting 27 and 15 points from forwards Reggie Johnson and Kenny Kadji, respectively, to take down the #7 Blue Devils in overtime, 78-74.
The victory was the first ever for Miami at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke had also been defeated by Florida State at home earlier this season, another team with a strong inside presence. Johnson, a 6'10" forward, hit on 11 of 17 shots and five of 10 free throws, and wiped the boards for 12 rebounds as well, eight of them on the offensive end, some resulting in put-backs for easy scores.
The Hurricanes built a 16-point lead in the early part of the second half, but the Blue Devils clawed back and sent the game into overtime, where Johnson scored five of his career high 27 and the Blue Devils uncharacteristically missed all six of their free throws.
Duke drops to 6-2 in the conference and 19-4 overall, while the Hurricanes improved to 5-3 in ACC play and are 14-7 on the season. Miami has won four straight - three of them on the road. The other road wins came at Georgia Tech and Boston College.
The Blue Devils have another tough test when they travel this Wednesday, February 8, to play their Tobacco Road arch-rival, North Carolina, which is tied, at 7-1, with Florida State on top of the ACC standings.
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