Final Four Preview: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Kansas Jayhawks

National Semi-Final, Saturday, March 31

(2) Ohio State (31-7) vs. (2) Kansas (31-6), 8:49 pm EDT - The second game of the Final Four is likely to be a battle down to the final buzzer, as both Kansas and Ohio State have done everything needed to reach the penultimate game of the 2012 NCAA Tournament.

The Buckeyes, headed by coach Thad Motta, with a career coaching record of 323–95 (.773) and 221–64 (.775) at Ohio State, will be coaching in his second Final Four game, after getting Butler, Xavier and the Buckeyes into the tournament eight times, reaching the championship game in 2007, when they lost, 84-75, to the Florida Gators.

For Kansas, coach Bill Self has distinguished himself as one of the nation's finest coaches, having taken over the KU program from Roy Williams following the 2002-03 season. In his nine years at Kansas, Self has produced an outstanding record of 268–52 (.838), having won the national championship with the Jayhawks in 2007-08. He has a career mark of 475–157 (.752).

On the court, battles will rage in both the front and back courts, as these two teams are about as evenly matched as any contest in the tournament.

Up front, the Buckeyes feature the burly Jared Sullinger, a strong scorer in the paint and a ferocious rebounder, who leads the team in both scoring and rebounding at 17.6 points and 9.3 boards per game. Aside him will be 6'7" sophomore, Deshaun Thomas, who has flourished in Motta's free-flowing system. Thomas, a big time scoring threat is dangerous from just about anywhere on the court, but his best forte may be from the seven to ten foot range, where he can either nail jumpers or back opponents into the paint.

Contesting the boards with Thomas and Sullinger will be Kansas' star Thomas Robinson, who, like Sullinger, leads his team in scoring and rebounding, with 17.9 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. His wingman is 6'11" Jeff Withey, a shot-blocking machine who is not a great rebounder, but has shown more than adequate ability in the low post.

The back court battle will be vied by the two point guards - Ohio State's Aaron Craft and Kansas specialist Tyshawn Taylor. Craft, more of a defensive specialist, will be on curt for almost the entire duration, trying to stay in front of Taylor, who is a slick dribbler and excellent finisher at the rim.

Role players will be vital to each team. For the Buckeyes, William Buford is the best pure shooter of the starters, and he will be joined by Lenzelle Smith Jr. a slasher with good inside moves and a nice shooting touch.

Opposing them for Kansas, Elijah Johnson will be a key player, as he has been throughout the tourney, providing key baskets at critical moments. He's very much like Smith, though probably has more offensive potential than his Ohio State foe. Travis Releford doesn't do much scoring, but he's a capable passer and strong rebounder for the Jayhawks.

Another player to watch is Ohio State's Even Ravenel, who has performed quite well when spelling either Sullinger or Thomas.

For an idea of how close this match-up is, the statistics tell the story. Ohio State is 35th nationally in scoring at 75.1 points per contest, 57th in rebounding, at 36.8 and 12th in the nation in field goal percentage, stroing it at a .486 clip. The Jayhawks are 36th in scoring (75.0), 54th in rebounding (36.9) and shoot a field goal percentage of .485, 14th nationally.

Las Vegas has installed the Buckeyes as a 2 1/2 point favorite, but this one is really up for grabs.

Final Four Preview: Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals

National Semi-Final, New Orleans, LA

(1) Kentucky Wildcats (36-2) vs. (4) Louisville Cardinals (30-9), 6:09 pn EDT - Seriously, does it get any better than this?

Two storied programs located just 69 miles apart in the great state of Kentucky, Louisville and Kentucky will meet for the 44th time in their shared histories in a series that dates back to 1913, the year the Federal Reserve was formed.

The Wildcats hold the series edge, 29-14, with the most recent meeting being earlier this season, on New Year's Eve, December 31, 2011, when Kentucky escaped with a 69-62 home win at Lexington.

The programs and their coaches - Louisville's Rick Pitino and John Calipari - are no strangers to the Final Four. Kentucky has been there 14 times, Louisville, eight. The Wildcats' last Final Four appearance was in 2011; the Cardinals last made it into the Final Four in 2005.

The coaches will get plenty of attention in this match-up, as they are two of the greatest of all time. Rick Pitino, 26 years a college basketball coach, has a career record of 627-229, for a .732 won-loss percentage. Since 2001, Pitino has been head coach of Louiville, where he's compiled a record of 275-105. He's guided teams to the Final Four six times, and this will be his second Final Four appearance as coach of the Cardinals.

Ironically, Pitino won his only national championship when he was head coach of Kentucky, a position he held from 1989 through 1997, winning the national championship in 1996. A year later, he left the Wildcat program and headed down the road to Louisville after racking up a record of 219-50 in Lexington.

John Calipari has a similar resume. In 20 years of coaching, he's amassed a career record of 545-154, a winning percentage of .780. His earlier stints at Massachusetts (193-71) and Memphis (252-69) led to his hiring as head coach of Kentucky, replacing Tubby Smith in 2009. In just three seasons with the Wildcats, Calipari has produced a record of 100-14, the best of any Division 1 coach during that span.

Calipari is becoming quite the regular at the Final Four, having taken Kentucky there last season, losing in a semi-final game to eventual national champion, Connecticut, 56-55. He took Memphis there in 2008 and UMass was a Final Four team in 1996 under his guidance. Calipari has never won a national championship, though he came awfully close with Memphis in 2008, losing to Kansas, 75-68, in the national final.

The two used to be good friends, though lately, the descriptions of their acquaintance have ranged from "frenemies" to rivals to unfriendly associates.

While the sidecourt drama will be something of a sideshow to the main event on the court, the players will ultimately decide which team advances to the title game, and here, Kentucky seems to have a large advantage.

According to the latest line, Kentucky is an 8 1/2 point favorite over the Cardinals, a number that may well add more fuel to the underdogs' fire.

The Wildcats have a decided height advantage, with freshman Anthony Davis patrolling the lane along with fellow frosh Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and sophomore Terrence Jones. David stands 6'10", Jones, 6'9" and Kidd-Gilchrist, 6'7".

By contrast, the Louisville front line has center Gorgui Dieng at 6'11", who, like Davis is a ball-swatter and shot-changer, but after that the height drops off dramatically. Freshman Chane Behanen is only 6'6", but his bulky 250-pound frame allows him to bang with the big men. The usual Louisville lineup will feature three guards, though Kyle Kuric, a 6'4" swingman who does most of his scoring from the perimeter, isn't going to help out much on the boards or in the paint. The disparity in size - on paper, at least - gives Kentucky a huge inside advantage.

In the back court, there's no faster player than Louiville's senior point guard Peyton Siva, who will match up with larger rivals, either Marcus Teague, the starter or Darius Miller, who is a real spark off the bench. Siva will likely play at least 36 minutes, while Teague can get plenty of rest, so in this match-up, Siva, who is in exceptional condition, may be worn down by the time the game reaches the crucial last four or five minutes.

The shooting guards are somewhat of a stand-off. Chris Smith and Russ Smith of Louisville have responded well to the rigors of tournament play with solid games in the regionals. They'll have to be on the mark if Louisville is going to keep pace with the Wildcats, which sports players that can score in a variety of ways from virtually anywhere on the court. Sophomore Doron Lamb is Kentucky's best scoring guard, hitting at 47% both inside and outside the 3-point line.

Statistically, the Wildcats enjoy even more advantages. They are the 20th-highest scoring team in the country, at 77.1 points per game, are 15th in rebounding (39.2) and 10th in field goal percentage, at .487%. The Cardinals rank 155th in scoring at 68.8 ppg, 27th in rebounds (38.2) and a troubling 255th in field goal percentage, checking in at .425%.

None of this is particularly bothersome to the confident Pitino nor his troops, who have taken the same path as last season's national title-holders, UConn, winning the Big East tournament and all four of their NCAA games, for an eight-game winning streak.

Kentucky doesn't seem the least bit concerned either. They've lost only twice all season and they've already avenged one of the losses. A December, 73-72, defeat at Indiana was reversed when the Wildcats thumped the Hoosiers, 102-90, in the South regional semi-final. Their other loss was to Vanderbilt, in the SEC championship. Though it was a disappointment for Kentucky, it didn't matter, as they were named the tournament's overall #1 seed, remain the #1 team in the polls and now have a chance to prove it in New Orleans.

Stopping Kentucky on offense is going to be difficult of the Cardinals, though penetrating their huge defense could prove to be just as daunting a task. Key to Louisville's success will be the shooting of Kuric, who can be a dagger from downtown, and the Smith boys, along with Siva's penetration. The Wildcats can spread the scoring around, but their defense is probably the most critical aspect of this contest.

We'll all know how it turns out shortly after dusk on Saturday.

Friday: Kansas vs. Ohio State Preview

Week Before Final Four the Perfect Time for Golf

March Madness really slows down between the Regional Finals and the Final Four games, so, with time on your hands and no hoops on the tube (except for the NIT, but who really wants to watch the battle for #69?), warming temperatures and sunny days make it the perfect time to get a head start on your golf game.

If you're like most guys and gals, the clubs have been neatly tucked away in the garage or breezeway, just sitting there, patiently awaiting a chance to get out to the links.

Before you had out to your favorite course, it pays to check the contents of the bag in advance, making sure you've got all the necessities, from clubs (probably could use a good wash), golf balls, tees, glove, shoes, and any other necessities.

Since many amateur golfers - from duffers to 5-handicappers - won't be hitting the links for a few more weeks, most courses will be pretty desolate, which offers the opportunity to play more than just one ball per hole, so, to take maximum advantage of your practice rounds, a small investment in some premium golf balls might not be a bad idea.

There are deals online and your pro shop may have some specials. Nothing like some new balls to get your golf game moving in the right direction.

Tyshawn Taylor Lifts Jayhawks into Final Four

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, March 25, 2012

Experience matters in almost every walk of life, but Tyshawn Taylor's four years of tutelage under coach Bill Self at Kansas paid huge dividends for the senior guard as he lifted his team past North Carolina and into the NCAA Final Four.

Taylor was the catalyst in the Jayhawks' 80-67 win in the the Midwest regional final. It didn't hurt that North Carolina's regular point guard, Kendall Marshall had been sidelined with a fractured wrist, leaving Taylor one-on-one for much of the game with less-capable replacements - Stilman White and Justin Watts - who together tallied just nine points for the Tar Heels.

Able to guard players with limited understanding of North Carolina's attack, Taylor was able to pick off five steals, and snatch six rebounds while the bigs battled under the hoop, while on the offensive end he scored a game high 22 points and dished out five assists to grateful teammates.

Playing all but four minutes of the game, Taylor slowed Carolina's offense and while he was 0-for-5 from three-point range, he was effective otherwise, hitting 10 of 19 shots from the field and turning the ball over just three times.

Kansas will face the East region's Ohio State in Saturday's semi-final in a battle of #2 seeds. Ohio State, like Kansas, defeated their region's #1 in the regional final - in Ohio State's case, Syracuse - to advance to New Orleans.

NCAA Tournament Conference Scoreboard: ACC Out, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC Reach Final Four

Four teams from four different conferences have reached the Final Four: Kentucky from the SEC, the East region champion, will play Louisville, from the Big East, out of the West region; Ohio State, the Big Ten representative, emerged from the East region and will play Kansas, of the Big 12, from the Midwest region.

The two semi-final games will be played on Saturday, March 31, in the New Orleans' Superdome, the vidtors advancing to the national championship game on Monday, April 2.

Through games of Sunday, March 25

Conference	W	L
Atlantic-10	4	4
ACC	6	5
Big East	14	8
Big Ten	11	5
Big 12	9	6
Conf-USA	0	2
Missouri Valley	1	2
Mountain West	1	4
Ohio Valley	1	1
PAC-12	1	2
SEC	9	3
West Coast	2	3
All others	7	20

Kansas Punches Out Tar Heels, Heads to Final Four

Midwest Regional Final

(2) Kansas 80, (1) North Carolina 67 - The loss of Kendall Marshall turned out to be an achilles heel for North Carolina as they could not make plays down the stretch and Kansas overwhelmed the Tar Heels late, en route to a date with Ohio State in the Final Four.

A frenetic first half ended in a 47-47 tie. Thomas Robinson led all scorers with 14 first-half points, James Michael MacAdoo had 10 for Carolina; Tyler Zeller and Harrison Barnes, 8 apiece. Kansas made a 12-2 run to lead, 40-33, but Carolina quckly scored eight straight to grab a brief, 41-40 advantage.

Kansas set the tone for the second half by scoring the first seven points and held the lead throughout most of the period. Elijah Johnson broke the game open with a 3-pointer at 3:09, followed by Tyshawn Taylor's layup and 3-point play, then a Travis Relaford dunk gave Kansas a nine-point lead - their largest of the game to that point - with just 1:28 to play.

Carolina could not muster any offense in the final minutes. Kansas ended the game on a 12-0 run, holding North Carolina scoreless for the final 3:58. Taylor led all scorers with 22 points, plus six rebounds, five assists and five steals. The Jayhawk big men dominated inside. Jeff Withey had 15 points and eight rebounds. Thomas Robinson scored 18, with nine boards.

Kansas will face East region #2 seed Ohio State in the Final Four at New Orleans next Saturday in one of two semi-final games.

Kentucky is the sole #1 seed remaining. Ohio State and Kansas are both 2-seeds, while Louisville was the #4 seed from the West.

Wildcats Cruise into Final Four with 82-70 Win over Baylor

South Regional Final

(1) Kentucky 82, (3) Baylor 70 - For the first 6:35 of the first half, the Baylor Bears made a game of it, when they had Kentucky tied at 10 apiece. From there the Wildcats put on an exhibition of extraordinary basketball execution, outscoring Baylor, 32-12, into the half time break.

The half time deficit was the largest of the season for Baylor and the 22 points their lowest scoring half.

With the game well in hand, Kentucky was less ferocious on offense in the second half, allowing Baylor to chip away at the lead, getting it down to 13 on a couple of occasions and eventually to 10 with only 0:50 seconds left. Though the outcome was never in doubt, the final score was deceptive of how completely Kentucky dominated the affair.

Quincy Acy and Pierre Jackson scored 22 and 21 for the Bears, but had little support. Kentucky was paced by Michael Kidd-Gilchrist's 19 points with five rebounds. Anthony Davis had 18, with 11 boards and six blocked shots. Four Wildcats ended in double figures, the team shooting a brisk 53% for the game, taking only nine three-pointers, making four.

Kentucky also had a huge edge on the foul line, making 30 of 44 free throws, compared to 16 of 19 for Baylor.

The Wildcats will face Louisville, the #4 seed from the West region, in one of two Final Four semi-final games next Saturday in New Orleans.

Jared Sullinger Leads Buckeyes to Final Four with Win over Orange

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, March 24, 2012

Ohio State is in the Final Four for the first time since 2007 after defeating Syracuse in the East region final, 77-70, on Saturday.

The Buckeyes head to New Orleans with an experienced squad that finished the Big Ten regular season tied with Michigan and Michigan State for the title at 13-5 and is 31-7 overall. Their on-court leader, sophomore Jared Sullinger, the team's top scorer and rebounder, was once again a key factor in the Buckeyes' success.

Sullinger was forced to sit out the final 16 minutes of the first half after picking up his second foul just four minutes into the contest. Still, he finished with a game-high, 19 points, scoring 15 points in the second half and leading the Buckeyes to break open a 29-all tie at the break. Sullinger has had four fouls in a game 11 times this season, fouling out just once, in a February 21, 83-67, win over Illinois. On Saturday, he committed just one more foul over the last 20 minutes of play.

Leading all scorers with 19 points, Sullinger also was a factor on the boards when he was allowed to play his usual fearless, low-post style. He ripped down seven rebounds for the Buckeyes, which led Syracuse, 37-22, in rebounding. Considering he played only 26 minutes, his personal numbers and the final score might have been vastly different had he been on the floor his normal 32-35 minutes.

Ohio State will face Sunday's winner of the Midwest regional final between North Carolina and Kansas. They'll be in New Orleans for one of the two national semi-final games on Saturday, March 31.

Ohio State Defeats Syracuse, 77-70, Heads to New Orleans

East Regional Final

(2) Ohio State 77, (1) Syracuse 70 - Despite playing only six minutes of the first half due to two early fouls, Jared Sullinger scored 15 of his game high 19 points during the second half, turning a 29-29 tie at the break into a win and trip to the Final Four for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Sullinger was 5-for-9 from the field, made nine of 12 free throws and pulled down seven rebounds, leading four Ohio State starters in double figures.

The game was tight throughout, with Ohio State maintaining a narrow lead through most of the second half. Syracuse committed a number of crucial turnovers late in the contest, but overall the game was a statistical draw, except on the boards, where the Buckeyes held a 37-22 advantage and at the foul line, where Ohio State was 31-42 compared to 20-25 for the Orange. Two Syracuse players fouled out of the game and three others finished with four.

Ohio State will advance to the Final Four next Saturday to face the winner of Sunday's Midwest regional final, pitting top seed North Carolina against the region's #2 seed, Kansas.

Louisville Reaches Final Four with Comeback Win over Florida

West Regional Final


(4) Louisville 72 (7) Florida 68 - Russ Smith came off the bench for 19 points, sparking the Louisville Cardinals to a win over Florida and a trip to the Final Four. The Cardinals were outshot, 50% to 45% and out-rebounded, 32-27, but won the turnover battle, 13 to 6, overcoming as much as an 11-point deficit to rally back against the Gators for a hard-earned victory.

Smith added five rebounds and Chane Behanen had 17 points and seven boards for Louisville. Florida, which led most of the game and took a 41-33 lead into the half, made eight three-pointers in the first half but none in the second.

It was the seventh time Louisville coach Rick Pitino had faced his protege, Florida coach Billy Donovan. Pitino's teams have prevailed in all seven meetings.

Louisville will meet the winner of Sunday's South region final between Kentucky and Baylor in the Final Four, Saturday, March 31, in New Orleans.

Elite Eight Regional Final Previews, Saturday and Sunday Games

You've seen the games and heard all the commentary from Digger and Clark and the bloviating Vitale. You're maxed out on previews and predictions, so College Basketball Daily is here to cut through the noise and present some really brief snippets of what to watch for in the four weekend games.

Saturday, March 24

West: (4) Louisville vs. (7) Florida, 4:30 pm EDT - Pace wins the race. Florida wants to go fast; Louisville wants to control the flow and the clock. It's also Obi Wan Kenobi (Rick Pitino, Louisville) against Luke Skywalker (Billy Donovan, Florida). They've engaged in light saber duels six times in the past. Obi Wan has won all six.

East: (1) Syracuse vs. (2) Kansas, 7:05 pm EDT - One of two 1-2 match-ups (Midwest is the other). Syracuse 2-3 zone faces the double headed monster of Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State front men. The team that keeps their hands up and active on defense the most wins. Back court duel between Kraft and Trish/Jardine will be epic.

Sunday, March 25

South: (1) Kentucky vs. (3) Baylor, 2:20 pm EDT - Size matters, but Kentucky's interior players are bigger and more active than Baylor's. The Bears have done well so far, but they'll need more back court contributions ot stay in this. Kentucky coach John Calipari has been close before, but this is his best chance to win a national championship.

Midwest: (1) North Carolina vs. (2) Kansas, 5:05 pm EDT - Without Kendall Marshall, the Carolinians are wounded ducks. Thomas Robinson needs to step up for the Jayhawks and overpower Zeller and Henson in the paint. Elijah Johnson can play a huge role in the back court as disruptor, distributor and scorer. May be close, but only Kansas wins if it's a blowout.

NCAA Tournament Conference Scoreboard:

With just eight teams remaining after Thursday and Friday's regional semi-final games, all of the smaller conferences have been ousted, leaving only the ACC (North Carolina), Big Ten (Ohio State), Big East (Syracuse, Louisville) Big 12 (Kansas, Baylor) and SEC (Kentucky, Florida).

Regional final match-ups include only one scenario that could produce a Final Four meeting within the same conference, that being the potential South-West game that could come down to an all-SEC showdown between Florida and Kentucky.

Suffered the worst in regional play was the Big Ten, which entered the week with five teams still in the hunt (Wisconsin, Ohio State, Purdue, Michigan State and Indiana), but was decimated in the semi-finals, leaving only the Buckeyes to fend for the conference.

The Big East, which sent nine teams to the tournament, still has two left - Syracuse and Louisville. Syracuse could eliminate the Big Ten completely with a win over Ohio State on Saturday, while the Cardinals hope to whittle the SEC down to one with a win over Florida, also on Saturday.

Two potential meetings in the championship game could involve teams from the same conference. Syracuse could face Louisville in an all-Big East final or Kansas could meet up with Baylor, a Big 12 championship assured.

The SEC, which sent only four teams to the tourney, leads the way with a 7-2 record. Alabama went down ot Creighton in the opening round, while Vanderbilt won one game before falling to Wisconsin in the sub-regional round of 32.

Through games of Friday, March 23

Conference	W	L
Atlantic-10	4	4
ACC	6	4
Big East	13	7
Big Ten	10	5
Big 12	8	5
Conf-USA	0	2
Missouri Valley	1	2
Mountain West	1	4
Ohio Valley	1	1
PAC-12	1	2
SEC	7	2
West Coast	2	3
All others	7	20

Tyler Zeller Bails Out Tar Heels in OT Win over Ohio

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, March 23, 2012

Without their playmaker, Kendall Marshall, North Carolina barely survived their regional semi-final tilt with the Ohio Bobcats, Friday night, having to go into overtime to eventually conquer their upset-minded opponents, 73-65.

Marshall suffered a fractured wrist in the Tar Heels' previous game, an 87-73 win over Creighton this past Sunday (March 18) that set up the Sweet 16 meeting with the Bobcats. Coach Roy williams was forced to start freshman Stilman White in his place, and, while White was an adequate replacement, North Carolina still turned the ball over 23 times against Ohio.

What the Tar Heels lost with Marshall's absence was compensated for by the steady play of senior forward Tyler Zeller, the ACC player of the year, who tallied 20 points and 23 rebounds. Zeller's 20+ double-double was the first time any player in the NCAA tournament had accomplished such a feat since Tim Duncan did it when playing for Wake Forest in 1997, putting Zeller and his accomplishment in elite company.

Besides the scoring and glass-cleaning, Zeller was a powerful force in the middle, with four blocked shots and numerous others altered as Ohio players tried in vain to penetrate the middle against him and fellow front court stalwart John Henson.

Carolina's win sets up a Sunday afternoon meeting with the Kansas, the #2 seed in the Midwest region. The winner will earn a trip to New Orleans and the Final Four.

NCAA Tournament Regional Semi-Final Results and Recaps, Late Friday Games

South Region

(1) Kentucky 102, (4) Indiana 90 - The Kentucky Wildcats prevailed in a game played at a breakneck pace from start to finish and avenged one of just two losses suffered this season by taking Indiana out of the tournament.

The Wildcats advanced to a Sunday regional final against third-seeded Baylor, which took down Xavier in the region's earlier semi-final.

Indiana's Christian Watford led all scorers with 27 points, but Kentucky's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist equalled his career high with 24 points and had 10 rebounds.


Midwest Region

(2) Kansas 60, (11) NC State 57 - Elijah Johnson scored a layup off an inbounds pass to put Kansas up 60-57 with 13.5 seconds to play, and NC State could not respond in the final seconds as the Kansas Jayhawks advanced to the regional final to face the North Carolina Tar Heels on Sunday.

Thomas Robinson led the Jayhawks with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Jeff Withey had a career high 10 blocked shots. Kansas barely survived a poor shooting night, making just one of 14 three-pointers and shooting only 37.5% for the entire game. The Jayhawks were only 11-20 from the foul line, but held the Wolfpack to 28% from the field.

NCAA Tournament: Sweet 16 Friday Early Games Results & Recaps

South Region

(3) Baylor 75, (10) Xavier 70 - Baylor looked like they would blow out the Musketeers, opening up an 18-point lead in the first half, but Xavier closed with a 13-3 run to go into the break down 36-29. Baylor shot 53% in the opening half, but tailed off in the second half as Xavier closed the gap to four points, and finally to three with 22 seconds left, but Brady Heslip nailed down the win with four free throws in the final seconds for the win.

Xavier's Tu Holloway led all scorers with 22 points, but the game ball belonged to Baylor's Quincy Acy, who had a monster game with 20 points and 15 rebounds. Acy was 8-for-11 from the field and made all four of his free throws. The Bears advance to the regional finals where they will face the winner of tonight's Kentucky-Indiana regional semi-final.


Midwest Region

(1) North Carolina 73, (13) Ohio 65 OT - The David vs. Goliath match-up of the tournament went to... Goliath, but David forced North Carolina into overtime.

The Tar Heels were clearly out of sorts without point guard Kendall Marshall, who was in street clothes due to a fractured wrist suffered in Carolina's win over Creighton. Freshman stillman White started in Marshall's place, but Carolina committed 13 first half turnovers and, despite leading by 15 at one point, took a 29-22 lead into intermission. North Carolina turned the ball over 23 times in the game, allowing Ohio to remain close and eventually tie the game late, sending it into an extra five-minute session.

North Carolina scored the first five points in OT, and outscored the worn-down Bobcats, 10-2, for the hard-earned win. Walter Offutt scored 26 for the Bobcats, but North Carolina's Tyler Zeller owned the night, with 20 points, 21 rebounds and five blocks. It was the first time any player had scored 20 points with 20 or more rebounds since Wake Forest's Tim Duncan did it in 1977.

NCAA Tournament Conference Scoreboard: SEC Rising

With Florida's 68-58 win over Marquette in the West region semi-final, the SEC - which sent just four teams to the tournament - suddenly is looking pretty good, especially since, beside the Gators, the only other remaining team from the conference is Kentucky, the #1 seed in the South and the tournament's overall #1 seed.

The Wildcats face Indiana (one of just two teams to beat Kentucky this season) on Friday, while the Gators have a Saturday date with Louisville for the right to advance to the Final Four.

Elsewhere on Thursday night, the Big Ten and Big East took turns beating up each other. Syracuse took out Wisconsin, and Louisville beat #1 West seed, Michigan State. Ohio kept the Big Ten looking good with a win over Cincinnati. The Big East won two and lost two, while the Big Ten won just one, and lost two.

The SEC's .750 winning percentage is better than either of those two conferences.

Through games of Thursday, March 22

Conference	W	L
Atlantic-10	4	3
ACC	5	3
Big East	13	7
Big Ten	10	4
Big 12	6	5
Conf-USA	0	2
Missouri Valley	1	2
Mountain West	1	4
Ohio Valley	1	1
PAC-12	1	2
SEC	6	2
West Coast	2	3
All others	7	19

Jared Sullinger, Deshaun Thomas Lead Buckeyes Past Bearcats

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, March 22, 2012

Ohio State's 81-66 win over Cincinnati in the East region semi-final was the largest margin of victory of the four games played Thursday night.

The primary reason that the #2 seeded Buckeyes were able to put away the Bearcats so handily was their dominance in the paint, on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court.

Jared Sullinger recorded yet another double-double, his second - in three games - of the tournament and his 16th of the season, with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Sullinger was 7-for-13 from the field and made nine of 10 free throws. Five of his rebounds were offensive.

His front court running mate, Deshaun Thomas, poured in a game high 26 points on 10-for-17 shooting, including three of five three-pointers. Four of Thomas' seven rebounds were of the offensive variety.

If Ohio State reaches the Final Four (they face East region #1 seed Syracuse on Saturday for the right to advance), Thomas could be looking at tournament Most Outstanding Player. He scored 31 points with 12 rebounds against Loyola (MD) and dropped in 18, with seven boards, in Ohio State's win over Gonzaga.

NCAA Tournament: Sweet 16 Results & Recaps, Thursday Late Games

East Region

(2) Ohio St. 81, (6) Cincinnati 66 - The Sweet 16 battle of Ohio became Cincinnati's Waterloo as the Ohio State Buckeyes cruised past the Bearcats and onto the regional final against Syracuse.

Buckeye forwards Deshaun Thomas and Jared Sullinger led the charge with 26 and 23 points, respectively. Point guard Aaron Craft's heady defense and 11 points, six steals, five assists and four rebounds were a huge contribution to the success of Ohio State.

The East region will conclude with a chalky complexion, as the #1 and #2 seeds battle for the right to advance to the Final Four in New Orleans.


West Region

(7) Florida 68,(3) Marquette 58 The Florida Gators will face the region's #4 seed, Louisville, in Saturday's regional final after taking out Marquette Thursday night.

Florida freshman Bradley Beal led all scorers with 21 points on 8-for-19 shooting, along with six rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocked shots.

Billy Donovan's efficient Gators held the edge in rebounding and assists and made 13 of 15 free throws.

NCAA Tournament: Results & Recaps of Thursday Sweet 16 Early Games

East Region

(1) Syracuse 64, (4) Wisconsin 63 - 32-2 Syracuse survived their second one-point victory of the season, advancing to the regional final as the #1 seed. Wisconsin, forced to foul with 18 seconds to play and down by a point, put Kris Joseph on the line for a one-and-one. When Joseph missed the front end, Wisconsin had their opportunity for the upset, but Jordan Taylor's heave from well beyond the three-point line did not catch iron and the clock expired on the Badgers.

The only other one-point win for the Orange this season was a 52-51 nail-biter at Louisville, on February 13. Wisconsin stayed in the game by hitting an amazing 14 of 27 three-point shots (52%). The two teams combined for just 12 turnovers, six by each team. Jared Berggren and Jordan Taylor each had 17 points for the Badgers. Syracuse had four players in double figures, led by CJ Fair's 15 points. The Orange shot 55% from the field, including five of nine from three-point range and the same (5-9) from the foul line.

West Region

(4) Louisville 57, (1) Michigan St. 44 - Louisville's defensive effort produced an easy win over Michigan State, the first #1 seed in the tournament to taste defeat. The Cardinals held the Spartans to a mere 29% from the field and 24% (5-for-21) from three-point range. Louisville was superior in the paint. Chane Behanen was the game's leading scorer with 15 points, along with eight boards. Center Gorgui Dieng scored just five points but blocked seven shots and ripped down nine rebounds.

Louisville has run off seven straight wins, including four in a row to capture the Big East championship.

NCAA Tournament: Sweet 16 Previews, Thursday Games

East Region

(1) Syracuse (33-2) vs. (4) Wisconsin (26-9), 7:15 pm ET - A serious contrast in styles awaits fans at the TD Garden in Boston. The Syracuse attack is predicated on turnovers and fast break points out of their 2-3 zone defense that most teams have trouble penetrating successfully. Wisconsin, however, does have advantages in three-point shooting and their own steady, heady defense on the opposite end.

While the Orange haven't seemed to have missed their center, Fab Melo, they also haven't played a team as disciplined as the Badgers, who don't turn the ball over very often. In their 60-57 win over Vanderbilt, Wisconsin suffered only eight turnovers and despite coming up on the short end in rebounds, shooting percentage and free throws, still managed to prevail. It gets tougher in the round of 16, and even though Syracuse has played well enough to win their previous two games, they'd better not get down early, because the Badgers have a way of milking leads and making others pay for their mistakes.

(2) Ohio St. (29-7) vs. (6) Cincinnati (26-10), 9:45 pm ET - The all-Ohio regional semi-final will be a gut-check for both teams, though if the Buckeyes get hot, they may be able to romp home with a win here because the Bearcats are not a great shooting team, relying more on defense to survive low scoring games. Cincinnati's wins in the tournament were both in the 60s, and, during the Big East regular season, they topped 80 points only twice.

By contrast, the Buckeyes have the players and system that can put up points in a hurry. Through their Big Ten season, they scored 80 or more four times and had a slew of wins in the 70s. Their two tournament wins were both in the 70s as well, and they won them by comfortable margins - 19 points over Loyola (MD) and seven better than a solid Gonzaga team.


West Region

(1) Michigan St. (29-7) vs. (4) Louisville (28-9), 7:47 pm ET - Both West regional semi-final games will be played at the US Airways Center in Phoenix, AZ, so there won't be any perceived home advantage for any of the contestants. Both Michigan State and Louisville have been impressive through the first two games of the tournament and play very similar styles, though the Cardinals depend more on penetration by point guard Peyton Siva, whereas the Spartans have a go-to guy in Draymond Green, who registered a triple double in Michigan's opening win and a double-double taking down St. Louis to get to this point.

This is likely to be the defensive struggle of the night, as neither team is blessed with an abundance of offensive talent. A score with both teams in the 60s would not be surprising. Louisville, which ended their regular season with four losses in six games, has turned things around nicely, winning six straight, including the Big East tournament.

(3) Marquette (27-7) vs. (7) Florida (25-10), 10:17 pm ET - The Gators are arguably the faster team in this Big East-SEC match-up, but the Golden Eagles are a determined, consistent bunch who are difficult to label. They are surely among the best defensive teams remaining in the tourney, but they can go cold for long stretches on offense, which will hurt them badly if they don't score well against Florida.

Marquette made a shambles of their first two opponents in the tourney - BYU and Murray State - but Florida has big school credentials and demolished Virginia, 71-45 and Norfolk State, 84-50, making the Gators the tournament's biggest margin-of-victory team remaining. They have big time scorers in Kenny Boynton, Bradley Beal and Eric Murphy. Either team will be a tough out, but Florida has coaching expertise in Billy Donovan and the scoring punch that could turn this into a catch-up game for the Golden Eagles, a condition at which they do not excel.