The Sweet Profile: Davidson Wildcats

TEAM: Davidson

REGION: Midwest

LAST WEEKEND: Defeated #7 Gonzaga, defeated #2 Georgetown

Next Game: vs Wisconsin, 7:10 pm Friday

Davidson got here because of: Superior guardplay. Stephen Curry and Jason Richards are the back of this Wildcats team, and they proved it with their performances so far. Curry had 40 points against the Zags and 30 points against the Hoyas. Fifty-five of his seventy points have come in the second half. Against the Hoyas he nearly single-handedly brought the Wildcats back from 17 points down to win. Richards, the NCAA leader in assists, did not disappoint either, with 35 points and 14 assists playing all but four minutes of the first two games. Finally, this stat shows how important these two players are to Davidson’s success. In the Georgetown game, Curry and Richards, by virtue of either points scored or assists tallied, accounted for 70 of the Cats’ 74 points, including a hand in every field goal made. That is impressive.

What the Sweet 16 really means: The difficult non-conference schedule paid off. They were not fazed by the big stage. While any Davidson fan, player and coach must be absolutely thrilled by what has happened so far, the Wildcats have to believe that they are the next George Mason. They have to believe, in their heart of hearts, that they can make the Final Four given the right opportunity.

Chances to Reach San Antonio: Perhaps the third slimmest chance of anyone left in this tournament (the first and second being Western Kentucky and Villanova). But they have to feel good about their chances to make the Elite 8. Wisconsin’s style means the pace will be slow, allowing starters to play close to 40 minutes and the Wildcats to keep it close regardless of the outcome. They'll need more great performances out of Curry and Richards, and Andrew Lovedale needs to stay out foul trouble against the Badgers' frontcourt. In Kansas they may have to face the most talented team of the tournament. Then again, that’s what they said about UConn in 2006.

The Sweet Profile: Kansas Jayhawks

Team: Kansas Jayhawks

Region: Midwest

Last Weekend: Defeated #16 Portland State 85-61, Defeated #8 UNLV 75-56.

Next Game: vs Villanova, Friday 9:40pm (Detroit)

How Kansas Got Here: The beatdown of Big Sky champs Portland State was routine, with future NBA draft picks drubbing guys who would be lucky to get a tryout for Slamball (it's back, you know!). UNLV provided a slightly tougher test, shutting down the perimeter in the first half until Kansas used superior quickness to penetrate the lane, score, and open up the outside game. In all, it has been pretty easy so far.

What the Sweet 16 really means: A sigh of relief to a team that still remembers the two-season "Killer Bs" debacle. However, anything short of a Final Four this season will leave Kansas fans exasperated, and add just a little more heat to Bill Self's tuckus.

Chances to Reach San Antonio: Inheriting the winner of a 12 vs. 13 matchup almost doesn't seem fair, but Jayhawk players and fans will take it. With respectable but limited teams like Wisconsin and Davidson lurking on the other side of the bracket, if Kansas doesn't make it to San Antonio this year, the program's reputation could take a near-fatal hit. Going through Detroit just like Danny's '88 squad did has the Lawrence faithful hoping for another Miracle.

The Sweet Profile: North Carolina Tar Heels

As we are now down to just 16 teams, STF will profile each team in the Sweet 16 to see what the Sweet 16 really means to each program and what its chances are to advance to San Antonio.


TEAM: North Carolina

REGION: East

LAST WEEKEND: Defeated #16 Mount St. Mary’s, defeated #9 Arkansas

Next Game: vs Washington State

North Carolina got here because of: Absolute domination. Their two games, in particular the 108-77 destruction of Arkansas, was a complete team effort. All Carolina players had a sense of urgency on the court, fighting fr baskets, forcing turnovers, taking care of business on defense, and Arkansas seems shell shocked from the get-go.

What the Sweet 16 really means: The real tournament begins. With their talent level and the expectations of Tar Heel fans everywhere, anything less than the Final Four would be considered a failure.

Chances to Reach San Antonio: If the Heels play like they did against Arkansas, their chances could be near absolute. If they play like they did during the regular season…their chances are substantially less than absolute. Every team they face is a Final Four, perhaps even championship caliber team from this point on, starting with Wazzu, a battle of polar opposite playing styles. Carolina’s had a tendency to get behind early in their ACC games. So far they’ve managed to escape with wins in all but one of those games (Maryland). If they do that in the Charlotte regional, over even let their opponent hang around too long, they could be watching the Final Four from home.

The Sweet Profile: West Virginia Mountaineers

As we are now down to just 16 teams, STF will profile each team in the Sweet 16 to see what the Sweet 16 really means to each program and what its chances are to advance to San Antonio.


Team: West Virginia Mountaineers

Region: West

Last Weekend: Defeated #10 Arizona 75-65 , defeated #2 Duke 73-67

Next Game: vs Xavier, Thursday 7:10 p.m. (Phoenix)

How WVU Got Here: In pretty impressive fashion, actually. No first-round patsies for a #7 seed, but Bob Huggins and his 'Eers didn't flinch. Alex Ruoff shot the lights out in the first round, and his team followed suit, hitting 58% of their three-point tries. Four starters ended up in double figures in that game, as a talented but directionless Wildcat team was sent packing. Against Duke, it was a different story, as Joe Alexander took advantage of the soft Blue Devils to the tune of 22 points and 11 rebounds. All that was missing was the sound of dueling banjos.

What the Sweet 16 really means: It's time to throw out the "NIT Champs" T-shirts. It also means that hiring Bob Huggins, with all of the attendant slime, was a justifiable move for the Morgantown faithful. When Huggins uses this exposure to recruit his own guys, look out.

Chances to Reach San Antonio: Seems incredibly unlikely, with UCLA looming as a possibility. If the superior talent doesn't get them, the referee malfeasance will.

The Sweet Profile: Xavier Musketeers

As we are now down to just 16 teams, STF will profile each team in the Sweet 16 to see what the Sweet 16 really means to each program and what its chances are to advance to San Antonio

Team: Xavier Musketeers

Region: West

Last Weekend: Defeated #14 Georgia 73-61, defeated #6 Purdue 75-68

Next Game: vs West Virginia, Thursday 7:10 p.m. (Phoenix)

Xavier Got Here Because Of: The play of Josh Duncan and a balanced scoring attack that hit its stride at the right time. It appeared as if the Muskies were going to be the first high seed to flame-out of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday afternoon when they trailed Georgia by 11 in the second half. Behind Duncan’s 20 points (my pick for the most valuable player on Xavier), the Muskies mounted a 22-6 run to take over the game. In the second round against Purdue, the Muskies offensive attack was clicking on all cylinders, with Drew Lavander and C.J Anderson each scoring 18 points, Duncan adding 16, and Staley Burell scoring 11 for a victory over a talented Purdue squad.

What the Sweet 16 really means: Since the Muskies have been in the Top 15 all season and have done everything possible to dis their mid-major status and conference, a Sweet 16 appearance will no longer suffice. If Xavier really wants to be a big boy school, only an Elite 8 appearance will legitimize a season which saw Xavier obtain the most wins in school history.

Chances to Reach San Antonio: Chances of reaching the Elite 8 are at 50% with a tough upcoming match-up with a surging and very similar West Virginia squad. There is, however, a giant roadblock in the way of the Final Four called UCLA.

UCLA Claims All Ball

I don't care what Pomeroy says, UCLA continues to be the luckiest team in America . This picture of UCLA's "steal" at the end of the game against Texas A&M just about sums up the Bruins last month of basketball. Much, much cleaner block than the one against Stanford.

STF Sunday Tournament Recap

Stephen Curry has scored 70 points in two games. The two teams that faced Washington State scored just 81 combined. Those are just two numbers that jump out at an observer of the tournament thus far. There are a lot more buried in the box scores, and we now have three days to tease out some notion of what might happen in the next round. We’ll be wrong, of course, but guessing is half the fun.

#10 Davidson 74 - #2 Georgetown 70
Stephen Curry has made a habit of waiting until the second half to go off in this tournament. He scored the majority of his tournament-high 40 points after halftime on Friday, and he only had three points at halftime of Sunday’s game, as well. The Wildcats were down 17 before Curry went off and scored the remainder of his 30 points in this one. Jason Richards had 20, and Andrew Lovedale 11. On the other side, Georgetown Center Roy Hibbert only managed 6 points, 1 rebound, and 1 block. Davidson advances to the third round of play to face Wisconsin.

#13 Siena 72 - #12 Villanova 84
This is why nobody ever apologizes for being the last team in. Villanova carried a very weak at-large profile into the NCAA tournament, but the Wildcats now sit in the Sweet 16 (albeit in Detroit) after knocking off Clemson and Siena. The Saints from the MAAC put up a valiant struggle despite early shooting woes, but eventually succumbed to the scoring of Scottie Reynolds (25 points) and Corey Stokes (20 points). The worst part is, the Saints can’t even drown their sorrows, because the Saint Bernard in their logo doesn’t have a mini-keg around his neck like he should. Villanova will face #1 Midwest seed Kansas in the Regional Semis.

#7 Miami 72 - #2 Texas 75
Miami coach Frank Haith left his assistant’s position at Texas in 2004, to become the head coach at Miami. He took the Hurricanes to the NIT twice over the ensuing seasons before this, his fourth, led him to the NCAA promised land. And who does he have to face after winning his first game? His old boss. Haith and the ‘Canes made a game of it, but eventually the Longhorns’ experienced starting rotation outlasted them. A.J. Abrams had 26 points, and Damion James chipped in the symmetrical 16/16 double-double to lead Texas to a Sweet 16 matchup with Stanford and the Lopez twins.

#7 Butler 71 - #2 Tennessee 76 (OT)
Want to know why people make redneck jokes about Tennessee? I think the high, keening scream that came from the stands every time Butler shot a free throw in this game gives a clue. The Volunteers only shot 26% from the three-point line and needed overtime to beat the Horizon-league champs, but beat them they did. Butler got strong performances from Seniors A.J. Graves (21 points), Mike Green (15 points), and Pete Campbell (12 points), but Tennessee’s JaJuan Smith had the last word, sinking four straight free-throws and pulling down a crucial rebound to seal the deal. The Volunteers advance to Charlotte for the Sweet 16.

#13 San Diego 63 - #12 Western Kentucky 72
Western Kentucky has been to the Sweet 16 six times before. The last time was in 1993, when the Hilltoppers defeated Memphis and Seton Hall before losing to Florida State in OT. Do you think they’d take a win over Memphis this year? So far, they’ve had to end the dreams of fellow mid-majors to get this far, taking down Drake in OT on Friday, and San Diego on Sunday. Next up is UCLA, and they’ll need every one of Courtney Lee’s 20 ppg, Tryone Braleton’s 14, and whatever miracle shot Ty Rogers has in his arsenal to make it to the Regional Championship.

#8 Mississippi State 74 - #1 Memphis 77
My initial reaction when seeing this score is “See! Memphis is the weakest #1 seed!” But the other way to look at it is this: Memphis played a game at Mississipi State’s preferred pace and still won. Not only that, but they outrebounded a rather grabby team by eleven. Joey Dorsey was a one-man wrecking crew (which is usually Robert Dozier’s nickname), gathering 12 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 blocks before fouling out. Up next is Michigan State, which sets up the marvelous Calipari/Izzo head-to-head matchup.

#6 Oklahoma 48 - #3 Louisville 78
When the Oklahoma box score reads “Leading Scorer: David Godbold”, you know something went wrong. Freshman Blake Griffin is the engine that makes the Sooners go, and he was mostly absent in this 30-point beatdown. No one player carried the Cardinals; in fact, Rick Pitino managed to get thirteen players into the game before all was said and done. Tennessee is the next foe for Lousiville in what should be a great Sweet 16 game.

#9 Arkansas 77 - #1 North Carolina 108
The Tarheels cracked the century mark with 3:45 left in a tournament game. Wayne Ellington scored 20 to lead five UNC players in double figures, and Roy Williams one-upped Pitino by getting a full fifteen bodies in this game. This creates a sort of dynamic tension for the next game, as UNC takes on a Washington State team that prides itself on defense. The Cougars allowed 40 points to Winthrop in the first round, and 41 (oh, the shame) to Notre Dame in the second. The good news for UNC is that they’ll be playing very close to home, in Charlotte.

For those who keep track of such things (OK, us), the conference tally for the Sweet 16 breaks down like this:

Pac 10, three teams: UCLA, Stanford, Washington State
Big East, three teams: Louisville, West Virginia, Villanova
Big Ten, two teams: Wisconsin, Michigan State
Big 12, two teams: Kansas, Texas
One Team: ACC-North Carolina, SEC-Tennessee, Southern-Davidson, C-USA-Memphis, Sun Belt-Western Kentucky, Atlantic 10-Xavier
STF will take stock of what’s to come in each region over the next two days.

Quite An Opening Round

Well, that sure was a glorious weekend, wasn’t it? After a slow first day, the madness of buzzer-beaters, upsets and heartbreak came through, providing one of the most memorable opening weekends in quite a few years. As everyone tries to re-group the Sweet Sixteen and get back into the good graces of the family after skipping the Easter Egg hunt to watch the end of Butler-Tennessee, some opening weekend superlatives….


America’s Team: Davidson (Close: Western Kentucky, Siena)
Best Game: Western Kentucky over Drake (Close: Stanford-Marquette, Tennessee-Butler, Belmont-Duke)
Best Upset: San Diego over UConn (Close: Davidson-Georgetown, Siena-Vandy, WVU-Duke)
Best Player: Stephen Curry, Davidson (Close: Tyrone Brazleton, WKU, Scottie Reynolds, Villanova, A.J Abrams, Texas, Brook Lopez, Stanford)
Best Near Upset: Belmont-Duke (Close: Butler-Tennessee, Miss State-Memphis,
Best Session: Friday afternoon
Best Regional: Tampa
Worst Regional: Denver
New Trend: 15-2 games are the new 12—5
Biggest Flameout: Duke (Close: Kent State, Arizona, Gonzaga, Indiana)
Most Shocking Loss: Georgetown to Davidson (Close: UConn to San Diego,
Most Dominate Performance: UNC over Arkansas (Close: Washington State over Notre Dame, Louisville over Oklahoma)
Best Sweet 16 game: Stanford-Texas (Close: Louisville-Tennessee, North Carolina-Washington State)

Sunday Recaps

#10 Davidson 74, #2 Georgetown 70
Stephen Curry has made a habit of waiting until the second half to go off in this tournament. He scored the majority of his tournament-high 40 points after halftime on Friday, and he only had three points at halftime of Sunday's game, as well. The Wildcats were down 17 before Curry went off and scored the remainder of his 30 points in this one. Jason Richards had 20, and Andrew Lovedale 11. On the other side, Georgetown center Roy Hibbert only managed six points, one rebound and one block.

#12 Villanova 84, #13 Siena 72
This is why nobody ever apologizes for being the last team in. Villanova carried a very weak at-large profile into the NCAA tournament, but the Wildcats now sit in the Sweet 16 (albeit in Detroit) after knocking off Clemson and Siena. The Saints from the MAAC put up a valiant struggle despite early shooting woes, but eventually succumbed to the scoring of Scottie Reynolds (25 points) and Corey Stokes (20 points). The worst part is, the Saints can't even drown their sorrows, because the Saint Bernard in their logo doesn't have a mini-keg around his neck like he should.

#2 Texas 75, #7 Miami 72
Miami coach Frank Haith left his assistant's position at Texas in 2004, to become the Hurricanes' head coach. He took them to the NIT twice over the ensuing seasons before this, his fourth, led him to the NCAA promised land. And who does he have to face after winning his first game? His old boss. Haith and the 'Canes made a game of it, but eventually the Longhorns' experienced starting rotation outlasted them. A.J. Abrams had 26 points, and Damion James chipped in the symmetrical 16/16 double-double to lead Texas to a Sweet 16 matchup with Stanford and the Lopez twins.

#2 Tennessee 76, #7 Butler 71
Want to know why people make redneck jokes about Tennessee? I think the high, keening scream that came from the stands every time Butler shot a free throw in this game gives a clue. The Volunteers only shot 26% from the three-point line and needed overtime to beat the Horizon-league champs. Butler got strong performances from Seniors A.J. Graves (21 points), Mike Green (15 points), and Pete Campbell (12 points), but Tennessee's JaJuan Smith had the last word, sinking four straight free-throws and pulling down a crucial rebound to seal the deal.

#12 Western Kentucky 72, #13 San Diego 63
Western Kentucky has been to the Sweet 16 six times before. The last time was in 1993, when the Hilltoppers defeated Memphis and Seton Hall before losing to Florida State in OT. Do you think they'd take a win over Memphis this year? So far, they've had to end the dreams of fellow mid-majors to get this far, taking down Drake in OT on Friday, and San Diego on Sunday. Next up is UCLA, and they'll need every one of Courtney Lee's 20 ppg, Tryone Braleton's 14, and whatever miracle shot Ty Rogers has in his arsenal to make it to the regional final.

#1 Memphis 77, #8 Mississippi State 74
My initial reaction when seeing this score is "See! Memphis is the weakest #1 seed!" But the other way to look at it is this: Memphis played a game at Mississippi State's preferred pace and still won. Not only that, but they outrebounded a rather grabby team by eleven. Joey Dorsey was a one-man wrecking crew (which is usually Robert Dozier's nickname), gathering 12 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 blocks before fouling out. Up next is Michigan State, which sets up the marvelous Calipari/Izzo head-to-head matchup.

#3 Louisville 78, #6 Oklahoma 48
When the Oklahoma box score reads "Leading Scorer: David Godbold", you know something went wrong. Freshman Blake Griffin is the engine that makes the Sooners go, and he was mostly absent in this 30-point beatdown. No one player carried the Cardinals; in fact, Rick Pitino managed to get thirteen players into the game before all was said and done.

#1 North Carolina 108, #9 Arkansas 77
The Tarheels cracked the century mark with 3:45 left in a tournament game. Wayne Ellington scored 20 to lead five UNC players in double figures, and Roy Williams one-upped Pitino by getting a full fifteen bodies in this game. This creates a sort of dynamic tension for the next game, as UNC takes on a Washington State team that prides itself on defense. The Cougars allowed 40 points to Winthrop in the first round, and 41 (oh, the shame) to Notre Dame in the second. The good news for UNC is that they'll be playing very close to home, in Charlotte.

For those who keep track of such things (OK, us), the conference tally for the Sweet 16 breaks down like this:

Pac 10, three teams: UCLA, Stanford, Washington State
Big East, three teams: Louisville, West Virginia, Villanova
Big Ten, two teams: Wisconsin, Michigan State
Big 12, two teams: Kansas, Texas
One Team: ACC-North Carolina, SEC-Tennessee, Southern-Davidson, C-USA-Memphis, Sun Belt-Western Kentucky, Atlantic 10-Xavier

STF Round 2 Day 2 Live Blog