by John Fanta ’13
The Big Ten, SEC, ACC, and Atlantic 10 Quarterfinals take place on Friday, while the Big East, Pac-12, Big 12, and MAC forge ahead into the Semifinals of their conference championship tournaments. Ah, March Madness! Where the cubicle laptop is so tempting to turn into a TV screen instead of an Excel template. Where the history movie in afternoon class is appetizing to turn to Jim Nantz on CBS. The Big Dance does not start until next week, but many teams are still trying to make their final cases for seeding in the NCAA Tournament, while other squads are just trying to squeak in to the field by showing the tournament committee what they are made of for the dance. It’s only heating up on Friday in the conference championships, as Thursday brought thrilling games that went down to the last second. In one such game, we saw a team lead by three with five seconds to go, and end up giving up eight straight points in those five seconds to lose. We also saw the Big Ten Tournament get started with a bang, as a buzzer beater got everybody jumping at the United Center. We give you one highlighted game and quick recaps of the others from each conference.
MVP of Thursday is Boston College freshman Olivier Hanlan, who scored 41 points to carry Boston College in an 84-64 commanding win over Georgia Tech. Congrats to the freshman.
Before re-caps, here’s what Thursday began with in the first game of the Big Ten Tournament. Gus Johnson, take it away. Get us excited!
TOURNAMENT CAPSULES
Big Ten
Brandon Paul Hits a Game Winner as Illinois Edges Minnesota, 51-49
After Illinois led 25-16 at halftime, the Gophers of Minnesota turned their defensive effort up and contained the Illini in the lane. Illinois was held to 26 points in the second half, as Minnesota put up 33 points in the second half. The Gophers are a definite team in the bubble picture, as the committee has a real hard choice with them. With 14.6 ticks to go, Paul had the ball at the top of the key to take it down to two ticks, where he faded to hit a 16-footer to lift the Illini. Coach John Groce and Illinois face Indiana at noon on ESPN on Friday. Indiana looks for revenge on the Illini, after losing to them on the road on February 7.
Friday Prediction- Indiana
Other Big Ten First Round Scores
Michigan Rolls Penn St., 83-66. Wolverines will take on Wisconsin at 2 pm tomorrow in the semfinals. (ESPN)
Friday Prediction- Michigan
Iowa Wears Down Northwestern With Stout Defensive Effort, 73-59. Hawkeyes will meet Michigan State at 9 pm on Friday on the Big Ten Network.
Friday Prediction- Michigan State
Nebraska Clips Purdue in a Tight One, 57-55. Huskers to face Ohio State at 6:30 pm on the Big Ten Network in the Big Ten Quarterfinals.
Friday Prediction- Ohio State
SEC- Coverage on ESPN U
Tennessee Rolls Through Mississippi State, 69-53; Volunteers Advance into Big Quarterfinal vs. Alabama
Tennessee was led by Jordan McRae, who scored 17 points as the #5-seeded Vols advance to the quarterfinals in the SEC Tournament. Mississippi State got within nine points with five minutes to go, but that would kick up McRae even more so. Tennessee and Alabama will square off in a huge bubble team match-up on Friday at 3 pm. Both squads are hanging right in the picture, but I really think that only one of these can make it in the field. The Volunteers beat the Crimson Tide on January 26, 54-53.
Friday Prediction- Alabama
LSU Fights Off Georgia, 68-63. Tigers take on the Florida Gators at 1 pm tomorrow.
Friday Prediction- Florida
Vanderbilt Makes Clutch Plays Down to the Wire to Clip Arkansas, 75-72. Commodores will take on Kentucky tomorrow in a crucial contest for John Calipari’s Wildcats. Yes, Vanderbilt is 15-16, but UK cannot have ANY bad losses, or else they will not get into the Big Dance.
Friday Prediction- Kentucky
Missouri Commands Texas A&M With Solid Defense, 62-50. Mizzou will meet Ole Miss on Friday night at 10 pm. Mizzou routed Ole Miss, 98-79, on February 9th. It’s #6-seeded Mizzou and #3-seeded Ole Miss tomorrow.
Friday Prediction- Missouri
ACC- Coverage on ESPN2
Florida State’s Okaro White Scores Career High 24 Points to Lift Seminoles Over Clemson, 73-69
Florida State will battle #6-seeded North Carolina at 9 pm tomorrow in the ACC Tournament. The Seminoles’ Michael Snaer hit four free throws in the last 22.4 seconds to get the ‘Noles on to the quarterfinals. Roy Williams and the Tar Heels are hungry though, that’s for sure.
Friday Prediction- North Carolina
Freshman Olivier Hanlan Scores 41 Points as Boston College Routs Georgia Tech, 84-64. BC will play #1-seeded Miami at noon tomorrow, as the quick-paced ‘Canes look to break down the Eagles’ defense tomorrow at lunch time.
Friday Prediction- Miami
NC State Dominated Virginia Tech, 80-63; #5-Seeded Wolfpack will play #4-Seeded Virginia tomorrow (2 pm)
Friday Prediction- NC State
Maryland’s Dez Wells Scored 14 Second Half Points as Maryland Downs Wake Forest, 75-62. Terps play Duke at 7 pm on Friday.
Friday Prediction- Duke
Atlantic 10- CBS Sports Network
Out of the four games in the A-10 Tournament, the combined margin of all of the four games on Thursday was 17 points.
Pandemonium Breaks Out as Charlotte Tops Richmond in Odd Finish, 68-63
With just 4.7 ticks to go in the Barclays Center on Thursday, the Richmond Spiders led Charlotte, 63-60. “You couldn’t make that up if you want to make a movie out of that one,” Charlotte coach Alan Major said. The Spiders fouled the 49ers to prevent them from taking a triple, since the Spiders led by three. On the 1-in-1 attempt, the free throw was hit by Pierria Henry, but push by Patrick Williams on Wille Clayton caused a technical. Charlotte led the game by one after the technical free throws, and then got the ball. Richmond then fouled Henry, but a foul was called as Henry threw up a half-court shot to challenge the officials to make a call. Uh oh. Richmond coach Chris Mooney exploded. He was ejected from the game, as Charlotte shot seven free throws, all by Pierria Henry. The 49ers won 68-63, as they play St. Louis tomorrow at noon.
Friday Prediction- St. Louis
Butler Outlasts Dayton, 73-67; Faces La Salle in Key Bubble Game Tomorrow
La Salle is hanging around the bubble, and they, at the very least, need a strong performance against the Bulldogs.
Friday Prediction- Butler
Massachusetts Fights off George Washington in a Close Battle, 77-72; UMASS to play Temple at 9 pm Tomorrow
Friday Prediction- Temple
Xavier Falls Short to St. Joe’s, 58-57, With Last Second Attempt Rimming Out
St. Joe’s will meet Shaka Smart’s VCU Rams tomorrow at 6:30 pm.
Friday Prediction- VCU
Big East- ESPN
Notre Dame Endures Past Marquette, 73-65, as Jack Connaughton Continued Hot Shooting With 18 Points
Jack Cooley made the key rebounds in the second half to help Notre Dame end up getting the best of Buzz Williams’ Golden Eagles. The Irish will meet the defending Big East Champs, Louisville, tomorrow at 9 pm. ND started at 2/18 from the field, but cleaned things up (despite the lime green jerseys) to carry a five-point half-time lead.
FLASHBACK- Notre Dame Prevailed Past Louisville, 104-101, in a 5 OT Thriller (February 9). Cards got revenge over the Irish with a 73-57 win on March 9.
Louisville Routs Villanova With Suffocating Defensive Effort, 74-55
Cards meet ND tomorrow at 9 pm.
Friday Prediction- Louisville
Syracuse Holds Off Pittsburgh’s Resiliency as Orange Advance to Big East Semifinals. James Southerland scored 20 points for the Orange as Syracuse advances. (Semis tomorrow at 7 pm) Who will they face?
Georgetown Dominates Cincinnati, 62-43, Setting Up Hoyas-Orange Final Big East Bout (G-Town commanded the Orange last Saturday, 61-39).
Friday Prediction- Syracuse gets revenge.
Pac-12 – Tourney on the Pac-12 Network- ESPN has coverage of the title game on Saturday at 11 pm
UCLA Battles Back to Survive Scare and Top Arizona St., 80-75
Arizona Topples Colorado, 79-69, as Nick Johnson Scores 18 Points
UCLA-Arizona St. at 9 pm on Friday in Pac-12 Semis
Prediction- Arizona fell to UCLA on March 2nd and January 24th. It’s hard to beat anybody twice, nor alone these quick Wildcats. Arizona knocks off the top-seeded Bruins on Friday.
Utah Knocked Off 2nd-Seeded California, 79-69.
Utah- Winner of Oregon-Washington at 11:30 PM
(Games to late to report on due to West Coast)
Prediction- Call me crazy, but I will take the 15-17 Utes, who have won four games in a row. They are peaking, and I take them tomorrow.
Big 12- ESPNU
BUBBLE WATCH- Oklahoma State Ruins Baylor’s Hopes With a 74-72 Win
Baylor needed a win tonight against #14 Oklahoma State. Like a Wild West movie, the Cowboys rode away in the wind to topple the Bears and send them away in the Big 12 Tournament. Baylor rallied, but Cowboy freshman Marcus Smart scored 21 points to lead OKLA St. over the deflated Bears. The shoe will not fit for Baylor.
Kansas State Dominates Texas, 66-49, Setting up Semifinal vs. Oklahoma State
FLASHBACK- Oklahoma State topped Kansas State on March 2nd. Will the Wildcats get revenge? Tip at 10:00 pm
Friday Prediction- Kansas State
Kansas Routs Texas Tech 91-63; Iowa State Fights Off Oklahoma 73-66
Semifinal at 7:30 PM
Friday Prediction- Kansas
MAC Tournament- SportsTime Ohio
Kent State Clips Buffalo’s Tough Efforts, 70-68, as Chris Evans Scored 25 Points and Racks Down 15 Boards
Golden Flashes, at 20-12, are peaking at the right moment. They will meet the Akron Zips, who they beat on March 8th at Akron, 68-64. Tip at 6:30 pm at Quicken Loans Arena.
Friday Prediction- Kent State
Western Michigan Outlasts Eastern Michigan 70-55; Sets Up Semifinal vs. Ohio University
DJ Cooper and the Bobcats take on the tough, gritty Broncos tomorrow night at 9 pm at The Q.
Friday Prediction- Ohio U
FULL FRIDAY SCHEDULE- http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/schedule?date=20130315
Follow me on twitter @JohnFanta13 and e-mail me at [email protected]. Another post will come for your Saturday morning, in which we will have madness with team after team claiming their conference title.
Stay tuned! Selection Sunday Brings Much Anticipation as Teams Await Their Fate Sunday Night.
