March Madness Musings – Day 1

Thursday, 3/17 – 11:30pm

13 of 16 picks correct on day one.  I’m pretty stoked about that.  Hopefully tomorrow will be just as fortunate.  O, UCLA won.  Sometimes you have to win dirty in a tournament format.  Quit complaining.  Be happy about the Bruins advancing!  – ADS

Thurs. 3/17 8:32

UCLA makes me freaking crazy sometimes. I would press them ALL GAME if I was the other team. They do so many things that good teams don’t usually do – miss free throws, give up open shots when they shouldn’t, have bad body language and questionable ball handling, etc… As a fan, that’s the kind of crap that makes me crazy.  OM

Thurs. 3/17 8:20

Loco- it will be OK. UCLA is a good defensive team. Bruins look so good at times and at times, especially against the press, they look like they don’t have a plan- especially Nelson. He’s my favorite Bruin I think but he doesn’t need to be handling the ball on the press… If Honeycutt stays and Smith stays, then the Bruins might be Top-10 next season. The good thing about UCLA’s future is that they’re all pretty talented, but not uber-talented enough to go to the show next year. Bruins in 2012. OM

Thurs. 3/17 8:10

Steve Lavin! If a team is outrunning and outgunning you, the last thing a team should do is try and run faster. Slow this game down! St. John’s could be another final four pick of mine who loses today.–Loco

Thurs. 3/17 8:08

Without a doubt Michigan St. is the most underachieving team in recent years. Kalin Lucas can go play in Iceland for all I care. My bracket is donzo. Put me in heels. –Loco

Thurs. 3/17 4:58

Wofford missing a lot of easy shots early. Will hurt them later. Count on it.

Thurs. 3/17 4:57

Key to the Bruins/Michigan State will be turnovers and rebounding. How many shots can UCLA knock down from the outside and how many transition buckets do they give up/ get.

If Nelson, Smith, and Lee get going, then the Bruins will be a tough out. If they are all playing bad, UCLA will struggle to stay in games. For my bracket’s sake, here’s hoping they play well. OM

Thurs. 3/17 4:55pm

OK something’s really bugging me so far today. During every game I watch, they’re calling this the SECOND round and saying that teams are advancing to the THIRD round with wins today. This really sets me off. It is the FIRST ROUND. The past two days, while part of the tournament, are not the first round. The first round stated today, and OH BOY what fun it’s been so far. Morehead State’s win was HUGE… Probably the shot of the first day… OM

Thursday, 3/17 – 4:30pm

Through the barrage of the first 8 games, I have picked 7 of the 8 correct, including 2 of my 3 major first round upsets.  Now Belmont needs to take out Wisky.  I consider a major upset a 12 beating a 5 or worse.  Morehead State and Richmond are moving on, and the winner of that matchup will take on Kansas in the Sweet 16.  This was considered in my bracket when I chose Kansas as the national champion.  The fact that they will face a team of Richmond or Morehead State’s caliber in the Sweet 16 means they basically won’t be challenged or won’t have to give a true 110% effort until the elite 8.  This gives them an advantage in that elite 8 game and in the Final Four.  My prediction is taking flight.  So far, so good.  – ADS

Thurs. 3/17 2:50

Doug Gottlieb=Frodo Baggins.–Loco

Thurs. 3/17 2:48

Memories of the little man Princeton beating the big boy popped. Close but not close enough. No consolation bracket in March. Calipari and co. survived a serious scare, 59-57. –Loco

Thur. 3/17 12:55 PM

There goes my bracket. I had L-Ville losing by four in the tournament championship game to Ohio st. Rick Pitino are you serious? I am all for cross dressing yall’, but can I shave my legs first? Damn it.–Loco

Thur. 3/17 12:37 PM

Quick informal poll for those of you with a smart phone: What is more entertaining – Angry Birds or the first day of the tournament? Keep in mind the “staying power” of Angry Birds…

Thur. 3/17 9:52 AM

I woke up really excited this morning. Today the real tournament starts. How long until someone pulls off a buzz-worthy upset or a play that turns the Internet upside down? UCLA’s not playing until tonight, so at least I won’t miss that. I picked them to beat Florida before I looked at where the game was. The Gators will have a home-court advantage in Tampa… Gotta stand by your picks though. Whose brackets are blown up already? — OM

Thur. 3/17 8:58 AM

One game you wont want to miss today? #2 San Diego st. vs. #15 Northern Colorado. San Diego st. is the most overrated high seed I have seen in recent years. Let me make myself very clear, ff they don’t lose today, they will lose in the 2nd round to Temple. Steve Fisher’s Aztecs like to get up the court and pressure teams with their hectic team defense. But Fisher’s team has faced only a couple of half-court squads during the season (BYU), and are 0-2 against them. Reigning Big Sky Conference champion Northern Colorado, is a slow tempo, low possession team, that can hit the three as good as anybody in the country. Look for Big Sky player of the year, Devon Beitzel to make a name for himself today.–Loco

Thur. 3/17 8:47 AM

Luck of the Irish? Does Mike Brey serve his two seeded Irish team green beer on the sidelines? I say yes. No luck needed today. Irish in a blowout. –Loco

Thur. 3/17 8:37 AM

Twenty three minutes and counting until the best playoff format in the world of sports tips off. Unfortunately we are beginning with a grind-it-out poor shooting affair in WV v Clemson. Bob Huggins is 23-18 all-time in the Madness. Better known for his brooding personality on the sidelines then he is a brilliant coach, Huggins has arguably does his greatest job this season.  Without their two leading scorers from last seasons final four squad, the Mountaineers won eleven games in the stacked Big East and come in as a five seed. Can you say overrated? Don’t think so. This is a low possession v high possession game. Usually in the March tournament, a low possession team wins out. WV 59, Clemson 55.–Loco

Thursday 3/17 12:20am

Couldn’t believe the selection committee selected UAB instead of Colorado when they did it, and the Blazers getting curb-stomped in the field of 4 by 18 only re-affirms it.  How can a team that beat Kansas State three times, and Texas not get a bid?  Ridiculous.  Anyways, visions of buckets about to dance in my head!  It’s almost like Christmas Eve!  Good night!  – ADS

Wed. 3/16 8:13 PM

I wonder, what if Brandon Davies had stayed celibate? If so, things would be different. BYU can Fredette going anywhere in the tournament. –Loco

Wed 3/16 8:04 pm

It looks like my ideas about the Pac-10 surprising the pundits might already be crumbling. VCU is fun to watch though. They look better than USC, but I also think USC might have a lot better chance to pull an upset on Friday. They sure could use Bryce Jones’ athleticism out there. Here’s a fun story about Jones’ high school team, Taft High School from Woodland Hills, CA:

When they came to a tournament in San Luis Obispo (Jones won the slam dunk contest and his team won the tournament), there were more adults on the bench than players. Really. It was like every player had their own personal handler. Timeouts were like Chamber of Commerce Mixers. And the fun didn’t stop there. Taft also brought their public address announcer to announce their lineup at the tournament. He was good, but it was awkward and hard to get excited knowing that he wasn’t introducing both teams. It was quite a spectacle.

When that is the world a young player “grows up” in, it’s no wonder that some adversity causes that player to break down and act in a dysfunctional way. That’s the chance a coach takes by recruiting players like Jones who are high risk and high reward. With VCU’s athleticism and length, I’m sure Kevin O’Neill wouldn’t mind another talented athlete to turn to. The way USC is turning the ball over though, having another freshman on the court (no matter how talented) probably wouldn’t help them much. OM

Wed. 3/16 7:35 pm

Yes, the tournament technically started on Tuesday night, but the brackets catch fire for real on Thursday. Follow us here for continuous updates and analysis from the Fansmanship.com crew.