Lots of changes at Marist...and some other Northeast news

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:41:33 -0700

Well, today marks the beginning of the Spring Signing Period, and many fans are awaiting the decision of guard Tyreke Evans. The explosive prerimeter player is said to be leaning in the direction of Memphis, and that's who I'd expect him to sign with due to the departure of Derrick Rose. But the school with the most going on in recent days has to be Marist, who will any day be gaining a head coach, but they've already lost two players. - Memphis assistant Jose "Chucky" Martin to be named Marist head coach. Many services have reported that the official announcement is coming any day now. Martin, a native of New York City, has many ties to the area due to both his playing at St. Raymond's in the Bronx and assistant stints at Manhattan and St. John's. That's the good news for fans of the Red Foxes, who head into this critical portion of the offseason with a head coach in place. As for the bad... - Guard Jay Gavin is transferring to VCU. According to Phil Strum of the Poughkeepsie Journal, star freshman guard Jay Gavin will be leaving Marist at the end of the semester to attend Virginia Commonwealth. He'll have to sit out next season due to NCAA transfer rules, but with the coaching change the people most instrumental in getting him to Marist are now gone (the entire coaching staff went with Matt Brady to James Madison). And speaking of James Madison, former Marist verbal commitment Andrey Semenov will follow Brady and his staff to JMU. Coach Martin will have a lot of work to do in regards to filling out his roster for the upcoming season. - G Doug Wiggins has asked to be released from his scholarship in order to transfer. A couple of weeks ago head coach Jim Calhoun talked about some imminent changes that would be coming this offseason for his program. One domino has fallen apparently, that being East Hartford native Doug Wiggins. Some moves were expected in regards to playing time/off-court issues, and Wiggins certainly had to deal with the latter during his two years in Storrs. But the main thing for Wiggins is to find a place in which he'll see a lot of playing time over his final two seasons. - "Christmas in April" for Rutgers? Maybe. Reported on Monday by Stacey Davis of NYCHoops.net, there is the possibility of St. Benedict's Prep forward and Rutgers commit Greg Echinique accelerating his coursework in order to graduate in time to join the Scarlet Knights this fall. A member of the Class of 2009, sources have told Davis that Echinique has entered an accelerated program with hopes of getting this done. If it can happen, look out for RU next season. - Sources say that Travis Ford could be the new head coach at Oklahoma State any day now. According to ESPN.com, UMass head coach Travis Ford is expected to take the same position at Oklahoma State any day now, just about a week after turning down Providence and agreeing to a new deal to stay at UMass. He replaces Sean Sutton, who was let go after two seasons in Stillwater.

Finals Report Card: Kansas 75, Memphis 68

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 21:36:51 -0700

Well, it's all over and the Kansas Jayhawks are the national champions, defeating Memphis 75-68 in overtime. And the miraculous end to regulation couldn't have been more fitting, coming twenty years after "Danny and the Miracles" won KU's last national crown.
Mario Chalmers, named MOP of the Tournament, nailed a game-tying three pointer with 2.1 seconds remaining. The shot had the effect of a sharp right cross on the Tigers, who even though they staggered around to stay alive in the extra session had the wind knocked out of them by that shot.
Two things ended up being correct in the end:
1. The assertion by many "experts" that foul shooting would eventually cost Memphis the national title. Three missed free throws late by Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose gave KU just enough wiggle room to get the game into overtime;
2. Bill Self was right in his pregame talk, telling his players that what happened tonight would stay with them for just about every day of the remainder of their lives. For Kansas, the daily feeling will be something that brings a smile to their faces. For Memphis, just the opposite.

Some final grades for tonight's game:
Kansas
Mario Chalmers: A If not for Mario's shot, we're talking about Memphis finishing their season 39-1 with a national title.
Sherron Collins: A Collins came up big off the bench for the Jayhawks, getting a key steal late in regulation that allowed Kansas to get to within four at 60-56.
Darrell Arthur: A 20 points, 10 rebounds. A major reason why Kansas outrebounded Memphis by ten, and Joey Dorsey only had two boards.
Russell Robinson: C Not the best night for the senior, but he will leave Lawrence with a national title. Good stuff. As the game wore on, it was clear that Collins was the more effective of the two, hence Robinson only playing twenty minutes.
Brandon Rush: B As he did all season long, Rush was all over the stat sheet with 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and a blocked shot.
Darnell Jackson and Sasha Kaun: B The two combined for twelve points and ten rebounds in the win.
Memphis
Derrick Rose: B- He came up big in the second half, but it may have been a product of his cramping heading into OT that took away some of his aggression in the extra session.
Chris Douglas-Roberts: B CDR overall had a good game with 22 points and six rebounds. But those missed free throws are going to live with him for some time. Terrible fate for such an outstanding player, but in March these types of things happen.
Antonio Anderson: C Didn't get a whole lot going in regards to his shot, making just three of his nine attempts for nine points.
Joey Dorsey: C- I really thought he was going to get things rolling in the second half, but what ensued was a near disappearance (only two boards for the game) and his fouling out with 2:31 left in regulation. With Kansas scoring inside to start OT, think the Tigers could have used him.
Robert Dozier: B Didn't have a good first half, but he held his own for the night with eleven points and ten rebounds. The other Tiger forwards (who saw key minutes) racked up two and three rebounds each.
Shawn Taggart: C- At least he scored in the second half, but he didn't supply much else to the cause in this one. But it may have been more about what KU's big men did than anything he didn't do...other than get in foul trouble early.

Halftime Report Card: Kansas 33, Memphis 28

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:33:38 -0700
We're halfway to knowing who our national champion will be, and Kansas heads into the break with a five-point lead after scoring the half's final five points. Sherron Collins, thought by some to be headed to a fate similar to that experienced by other undersized guards who have encountered Memphis in the Tournament, has been a spark on both ends of the floor. For Memphis, Derrick Rose needs to be much more assertive on offense. One made field goal, and he's giving up his dribble much too quickly thus far. Here's a grade for each player who saw action, beginning with the starters for both teams. Kansas G Mario Chalmers: B Chalmers has seven points thus far, but most of his time has been spent chasing around Chris Douglas-Roberts on the other end. CDR was hot early, but has cooled down of late. G Russell Robinson: C- Two quick fouls for the senior guard, who was supposed to be the main man in slowing down Derrick Rose. G Brandon Rush: B Made a couple of shots to tally six points, but he could be the best candidate to get even more in the second half. F Darrell Arthur: B+ Arthur has done his part in getting the Jayhawks the lead heading into the locker room. 5-8, 10 points in the first stanza. F Darnell Jackson: B- No field goals as of yet, but Jackson has been one of the keys in regards to Kansas' advantage in the rebounding category. G Sherron Collins: A- You could argue that this man has been the difference thus far, even though he's only got four points to show for it. The longer he keeps Rose from attacking the basket, the better for Bill Self's bunch. C Sasha Kaun: B Just like Jackson, his primary contribution has been the work on the backboards. But he does have four points to show for his effort as well. C Cole Aldrich: incomplete thus far Memphis G Derrick Rose: D Is he still feeling the effect of the junk-food induced stomach ache that gave him some difficulty yesterday? If the Tigers are to pull this one out, he'd better be much more assertive on the offensive end. G Antonio Anderson: C Besides one three-pointer, Anderson hasn't done a whole lot to help the cause thus far. He played well against UCLA on Saturday, but his first half tonight would be manageable if Rose were producing. G Chris Douglas-Roberts: B+ CDR was Memphis' best offensive option in the first half, going for thirteen points. But he cooled off after a 5-7 start from the field. F Robert Dozier: C- Two quick fouls for Dozier sent him to the bench, but at least he didn't pick up number three. F Joey Dorsey: B They went inside to him early, scoring the game's first points. And he didn't pick up his second until 2:31 left in the half. All in all a decent twenty minutes for Mr. Dorsey, but he needs some help on the glass. F Shawn Taggart: C- 0-4 from the field and two quick fouls...not a good first half for Taggart. G Doneal Mack: incomplete (0-1 from the field in limited time) G Willie Kemp: incomplete (not much PT, no shot attempts)

Halftime: Kansas 44, North Carolina 27

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 19:13:03 -0700
Well, we certainly didn't expect this. Kansas, thanks to an 18-0 run in which Carolina went 9:03 without a field goal, raced out to a 40-12 lead before the Heels used a 15-4 run to close within 44-27 at the half. Here are a few observations in regards to the first half. 1. North Carolina has not seen a team this good on the defensive end of the floor. That much was clear in the early going. The inability for the Heels to get to the basket left them to resort to long-distance shots with little chance of going in. Unfortunately, the name Shammond Williams came into my mind, he of notoriously poor outside shooting in UNC trips to the Final Four in both 1997 and 1998 (in San Antonio). But thanks to some foul difficulties incurred by KU, and a couple of shots falling, they have some life left in them. 2. Cole Aldrich stepped up in a big way in the first half. With Sasha Kaun and Darnell Jackson on the bench with two fouls apiece, the freshman stepped up in a big way on both ends of the floor. Six points and six rebounds for the McDonald's All-American, and it helped keep the ball rolling for the Jayhawks with two of their main big men saddled with foul trouble. 3. If Kansas looks to milk the clock too much, North Carolina can make this very interesting. Coach Self looked to take the air out of the ball some late in the half, which may have been a case of negotiating not having either Brandon Rush or Mario Chalmers due to their foul trouble. But the deliberate style allowed UNC to get back into the game with that 15-4 run to end the half. KU has to play with the same urgency they put on display during that 18-0 run, if not have just as good a result. If they can, then the Jayhawks will be playing on Monday night. What does North Carolina have to do to get back into this game? - Don't settle for three pointers; get the ball inside to the bigs and attack the rim. - Defend/take care of the defensive glass much better than they did in the first half. Defense hasn't been their strong suit all season, but the improvement they'd shown in March has been non-existent to this point. Enjoy the second half.

Halftime: Memphis 38, UCLA 35

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 16:19:45 -0700
With one half in the books, here are a few observations on the action. 1. UCLA does not have a defensive answer for Derrick Rose. While it was CDR who got off to the hot start early on (4-4, 10 pts early; 13 total), he eventually cooled off thanks to the defense of Russell Westbrook. But Darren Collison hasn't had as much success in dealing with Rose (11 points), who has made his way to the rim whenever he wanted to in the first stanza. If the Bruins are to win this game, this has to change. 2. The importance of Kevin Love can't be understated, especially on the offensive end of the floor. The times in which the freshman sensation has been on the bench seemed to be aligned with some poor shot selection by the Bruins. While Memphis has also forced up some wild attempts, they play a faster tempo that allows them to get away with that in some regards. UCLA needs to keep the tempo at a "60's pace" as opposed to the current "70's pace" (referring to final score). The speed has also resulted in seven Bruin turnovers, too many if they want to win this game. 3. A key development for the second half: Memphis' big men and the number of fouls they have. Both Joey Dorsey and Shawn Taggart have two fouls heading into the game's final twenty minutes. If one or both heads to the bench for good then they could be in serious trouble as that would mean more room to roam for Love. If they can stay away from their third personal through the under 16 timeout, I think Memphis is in good shape. Some personal notes: 1. I have to wonder if Billy Packer has seen Memphis play outside of the South Regional last week. Some of his "observations" on the Tigers have been interesting to say the least. The worst: the repeated implication that Derrick Rose has always been a prolific scorer this season, just now developing into an all-around floor general. Huh? Wouldn't it be the exact opposite in regards to his season thus far. He's always been able to get his shot, yes, but he made the effort to defer to other options all season long. 2. Jerryd Bayless is going pro. And he hired an agent. Bayless is a lottery pick right now, but you have to seriously wonder if Lute Olson's leave of absence affected his thought process. Yes, he can tell players and prospective recruits that he's in it for the long haul, but how can you be 100% sure right now? I wouldn't be shocked if Chase Budinger decided to leave as well.

(Late)Sunday Honors: Close but no cigar for Davidson

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 20:09:01 -0700
Well, we now know who is on their way to San Antonio next weekend, and unlike the New England Patriots we actually get treated to some history. For the first time in the 64/65-team era of the NCAA Tournament, all four top seeds will make it to the season's final weekend. In Sunday's action, Memphis made short work of Texas in Houston to reach their first Final Four since the days of Keith Lee in 1985. In the Midwest, Kansas gets Bill Self to his first Final Four and the first for the program since 2003. Who will they meet? Of course it's the man (Roy Williams) who led them to said appearance. Looks like Clark Kellogg was right after all. Here are a few honors for Sunday's action. Team of the Day: #1 Memphis Result: Defeated #2 Texas 85-67 in the South Regional Final. Two. As in the numbers of opportunities left for experts to be right about the idea that Memphis can't win a national title due to their foul shooting. Although it didn't come with the same vigor as it is now with the Tigers, didn't people suggest the same in regards to Connecticut back in 2004? And we all know what happened there as the Huskies rolled over four opponents and survived Duke in the Final Four before whipping Georgia Tech in the final. The Tigers did what few expected them to do in knocking off the Longhorns in Houston, essentially dominating the game from wire to wire. Chris Douglas-Roberts led the scoring with twenty-five (14-17 from the line), and Derrick Rose racked up 21 points, 6 rebounds and nine assists. Texas point guard D.J. Augustin struggled from the field, making just four of his eighteen shot attempts. But the best part of this win...they shot 30-36 from the line, showing that their trend of improving their free throw percentage come tournament time may be back in effect after a below 50% effort on Friday. UCLA will pose quite a challenge on Saturday night, but nothing is easy this time of the year. Two...but the "guarantees" are starting to sound a lot like pleas as this point. Player of the Day: Memphis guard Derrick Rose Numbers: 21 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists. "The Great Poohdini" made Houston his own personal stage this weekend, which I guess is fitting when the NCAA decides to go with the "raised court" (please don't do this next year; not only does the middle of the arena setup take away from the atmosphere, the idea of the raised court is dangerous when you consider that few teams are used to it). For all the debate over the likes of Augustin, Darren Collison and others when it comes to the nation's best lead guard, maybe this freshman from the Windy City is the best. With Saturday bringing UCLA, we'll have one more piece of evidence one way or the other. Honorable Mention: Davidson guard Stephen Curry The sophomore gave the nation one more virtuoso performance, going for twenty-five in the Wildcats' 59-57 loss to Kansas. The entire world knew exactly who wanted the last shot...and that the Jayhawks were not going to let him take it. Memphis forward Joey Dorsey Mr. Dorsey has shown up consistently in the Tournament, posting a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds. Don't expect him to rile up Kevin Love like he did Greg Oden last year in San Antonio either. Kansas center Sasha Kaun In twenty minutes off the bench, the senior racked up thirteen points and six rebounds. And KU needed every one of those points and rebounds. Their depth has been a strength all year long, and Kaun made sure it was again today. Saturday's Schedule UCLA vs. Memphis (6:07 PM EST) North Carolina vs. Kansas (approx. 8:47 PM EST)

Saturday Honors: Is the third time a charm for UCLA?

Raphielle Johnson — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 22:16:09 -0700
UCLA and North Carolina become the first two to punch their ticket to San Antonio thanks to regional final victories over Xavier and Louisville, respectively. One thing that may help out the Bruins in their quest for a twelfth national title is the fact that Florida won't be in town next weekend. The Gators are the only team to beat UCLA in NCAA Tournament play the last two-plus seasons. And with Kevin Love being a double-double machine (23 on the season), things could very well remain that way. As for the Tar Heels, Saturday's win was an exorcism of sorts, with the motivation for this entire season being their loss to Georgetown in last season's East Regional Final. But thanks to Tyler Hansbrough and nineteen Louisville turnovers (eleven in the first half to help Carolina take a double-digit lead into the locker room), Coach Williams heads to San Antonio in search of his second national title. Two more bids will be decided tomorrow with Memphis/Texas in the South and Kansas/Davidson rounding out the field in the Midwest. Here are a few honors for Saturday's action. Team of the Day: #1 UCLA Result: Defeated #3 Xavier 76-57 in the West Regional Final. The game hovered around a one-possession affair until the Bruins went on a run to close out the half with a nine-point lead. But any hopes of a Musketeer comeback were vanquished with a 14-0 second half run that put the game on ice. From there, it was all about taking care of the basketball and contesting shots on the other end. UCLA limited Xavier to 36.2% shooting from the field for the game, and guards Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook combined to shoot 14-23 from the field after Thursday's subpar performance against WKU. While Kevin Love was named region MOP, and rightfully so as the Musketeers had no answer for him inside, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute went for thirteen points and thirteen rebounds after a quiet night on Thursday. So now comes a third straight trip to the Final Four, and to say the least Ben Howland's experienced crew has been through plenty of battles in March the past three years. But can they get that elusive national title? I don't see why not. Player of the Day: Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina) Numbers: 28 points, 13 rebounds in UNC's 83-73 win over Louisville. "Psycho T" got it done in a big way down in Charlotte, racking up yet another double-double in the victory. Be it on the block or outside with a couple of jumpers, Hansbrough was the guy that Louisville had no answer for all night long. His scoring tonight moves him into second place in the illustrious history of Carolina Basketball, with only Phil Ford left ahead of Hansbrough in the record books. Sunday's Games South Regional Final (2:20 PM EST): #2 Texas vs. #1 Memphis (Houston) Midwest Regional Final (5:05 PM EST): #10 Davidson vs. #1 Kansas (Detroit) I know that I was among the many who thought that Clark Kellogg was an absolute fool for picking all four top seeds to get to the Final Four. But he may have been on to something. I think that by the end of the day he will be proven correct in his prediction, with Memphis and Kansas moving on to San Antonio.

Friday Honors: Stephen Curry is unreal

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 22:16:53 -0700
The Elite Eight is now set, with none of tonight's games offering anything in the way of drama. In addition to that, only Xavier's overtime win last night gave viewers a final margin of fewer than ten points. Davidson was the surprise of the evening, defeating Wisconsin in shockingly easy fashion to move on to Sunday's Midwest Region final where they will meet the Kansas Jayhawks. In the South, top seeds Memphis and Texas took care of business to move on to Sunday's final in Houston. Now here are some honors for Friday's action. Team of the Night: #1 Memphis Result: Defeated #5 Michigan State 92-71 in a South Regional semifinal. If the pundits continue to peg the Tigers as the first one seed to fall then eventually they should get it right. But a good way to make sure foul shooting doesn't have an impact on the game is to take out your opponent early, and this is exactly what John Calipari's team did, taking a 50-20 halftime lead into the locker room. Derrick Rose was unstoppable on this night, going for a team (and career) high twenty-seven points. And the defensive work put in by the likes of Antonio Anderson and Chris Douglas-Roberts (among others) on Spartan stars Drew Neitzel and Raymar Morgan was a sight to behold. If you're a fan of the other three top seeds, then the experts finally being right will mean that you're team is on its way to San Antonio since Memphis is playing the late game on Sunday. But those experts are running out of opportunities to get this one right. Player of the Night: Stephen Curry (Davidson) Numbers: 33 points, 4 assists in Davidson's 73-56 win over Wisconsin in a Midwest Regional semifinal. I seriously considered putting backcourt partner Jason Richards in this spot (11 points, 13 assists), but Curry's night was amazing. Clearly the top line in any team's scouting report by this point, the sophomore guard still went for 30-plus while hititng half of his shots. You think about some of the great individual performances throughout an NCAA Tournament and names like Glen Rice and Danny Manning immediately come to mind. Mr. Curry may be well on his way to joining those ranks if he hasn't already. Kansas will pose quite a challenge with their perimeter depth, but I wouldn't be stunned if Stephen put together another virtuoso performance on Sunday. Honorable Mention: Davidson guard Jason Richards As I mentioned earlier, the senior put up a double-double and controlled the flow of the game throughout for the Wildcats, who head to their first regional final since 1969. Memphis guard Derrick Rose 27 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists for the freshman point guard. For all the talk about freshmen guards in BCS conferences, Rose is the one still playing. But given his game, not a surprise at all. Texas guard D.J. Augustin 23 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists for Augustin, a man who Stanford had no answer for all night. His matchup with Rose on Sunday will be an entertaining one for sure. Saturday's Games West Region final: #3 Xavier vs. #1 UCLA (6:40 PM EST) East Region final: #3 Louisville vs. #1 North Carolina (9:05 PM EST) BONUS! If possible, check out the Division II National Championship between Winona State and Augusta State (2:30 PM EST, CBS). Last year's game featured a finish for the ages, with Barton coming back from a seven-point deficit with forty-five seconds remaining to pull out the win at the buzzer. Last year's victim: Winona State. I'm sure there will be at least one mention of last year's game, but it's good to see Winona State back with a chance to win it all.

Thursday Honors: Four more head home

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 03:56:21 -0700
After Thursday's games we're down to twelve teams with a shot at being the final scene in CBS' "One Shining Moment" montage. In Charlotte, North Carolina and Louisville took care of business in defeating Washington State and Tennessee respectively. Out in Phoenix, there was more suspense but in the end it was UCLA and Xavier winning to move on to Saturday's regional final. Here are some honors for Thursday's action. Team of the Night: #1 North Carolina Result: Defeated #4 Washington State 68-47 in Charlotte. The only bone to pick (by some pundits) with the Heels after their dominating weekend in Raleigh was the fact that they'd given up more than seventy points to both Mount St. Mary's and Arkansas. Well, how about limiting the Cougars to forty-seven points, forcing them into a 31.6% shooting night? Tyler Hansbrough led the Heels with eighteen points, and next up is Louisville. Can they put together the same defensive effort? Maybe, maybe not. But I'd advise people to pay more attention to the field goal percentage defensive category than simply the points allowed. Their pace dictates allowing points, so if they can limit their opponent's quality shots then they'll be in good shape. Player of the Night: Kevin Love (UCLA) Numbers: 29 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists in an 88-78 win over Western Kentucky. Love is one of the most fundamentally sound players to hit the college basketball scene in some time, and his effort against the Hilltoppers was just one more example of such. Be it through a key basket, rebound or outlet pass to spark a break, he was one of the main reasons why the Bruins were able to hold off that hard-charging WKU squad. UCLA's guards were mediocre for a good portion of the second half, but it was Love (he had help, which I'll get to a little later) and the frontcourt that got this one home. Honorable Mention: Josh Duncan (Xavier) The senior forward went for 26 points in the Musketeers' overtime win against West Virginia. He's been their most consistent scorer in the Tournament, something that isn't really a surprise since he led the team in scoring in the regular season. Tyrone Brazelton (Western Kentucky) In a losing effort, Brazelton closed out his collegiate career with a thirty-one point night. Without his outside shooting in the second half, there's no way WKU gets that game to within four points late. Earl Clark (Louisville) A starter for most of the season, Clark has adjusted quite well to coming off the bench. In the Cardinals' 79-60 win over Tennessee, he went for a solid 17 points and 12 boards. Unsung Hero of the Night: James Keefe (UCLA) Numbers: 18 points and 12 rebounds. Before tonight's game, the season high in points for the sophomore from Rancho Santa Margarita was eight (against Stanford in the Pac-10 Tournament final). But with limited production from the struggling backcourt, it was Keefe who put up highs in both points and rebounds to help pull out the win. It's performances like this that helps crown champions when it's all said and done, and the more that Coach Howland can get out of Keefe the better. Friday's Games: Midwest Regional (Detroit) #10 Davidson vs. #3 Wisconsin (7:10 PM EST) #12 Villanova vs. #1 Kansas (to start 25-30 min. following completion of first game) South Regional (Houston) #3 Stanford vs. #2 Texas (7:27 PM EST) #5 Michigan St. vs. #1 Memphis (to start 25-30 min. following completion of first game)

Sunday Honors: Two twelves, a ten...and Memphis survives

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 19:04:46 -0700
We're now down to the Sweet 16, and to say the least there are some surprises. Ten seed Davidson, after knocking off Georgetown in Raleigh, moves on to Detroit thanks in large part to guard Stephen Curry. The brutal non-conference schedule they played early in the season clearly has paid off for the Wildcats. Another set of Wildcats, these hailing from Villanova, will also be in the Motor City as the twelve seed in the Midwest. Scottie Reynolds and Corey Stokes proved to be too much for the cold-shooting Siena Saints. Also in Tampa, the West's twelve seed Western Kentucky moves on after holding off a furious second-half rally by thirteen seed San Diego. The story of the final set of games: Memphis surviving sketchy foul shooting to hang on and defeat Mississippi State 77-74. After losing Joey Dorsey to his fourth foul the Tigers actually increased their lead, gaining the separation they ended up needing in the end. Friday's matchup with Michigan State promises to be a physical affair, and Mr. Dorsey needs to stay on the floor in that one as the Spartans have a couple different post options from which to choose. Here are the honors for the final day of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Team of the Day: North Carolina, top seed in the East Result: Defeated #9 Arkansas 108-77 in Raleigh. Wow. There really isn't much more you can say after watching a team put together back-to-back 100+ point games, something that hasn't been done in the NCAA Tournament since 1990. The Tar Heels were ready from the opening tap, jumping out to a 9-0 lead in a fashion similar to what a young Mike Tyson did to people back in 1985. Carolina, led by Wayne Ellington's twenty points, had five players reach double figures and shot 67.7% from the field. If they play like that from this point forward, everyone else may be playing for second place. They were that good today. Other performances of note: Louisville The Cardinals became the third Big East team to reach the Sweet 16, blowing out Oklahoma by thirty in Birmingham. Their win stopped the bleeding for the league, which took four straight hits after West Virginia beat Duke in Saturday's first game. Davidson The ultra-tough early season schedule, which included close losses to UCLA, North Carolina and Duke, has paid dividends for Bob McKillop's squad. We'll see them in Detroit next weekend. Villanova The key for Jay Wright and his team was to simply make the tournament. And once they found out they were in, it was time to make a move after a roller-coaster regular season due to their youth. Kansas will be a prohibitive favorite on Friday, but the Cats can give them all they want and then some. Player of the Day: Davidson guard Stephen Curry Numbers: 30 points, 5 assists in a 74-70 win over #2 Georgetown. The sophomore guard has been the player of the tournament to this point, bouncing back from foul trouble to score twenty-five of his thirty points in the second half to send home one of the picks to possibly get to San Antonio. Curry has a basketball acumen that gets him to open areas of the floor, and even if the defender is right there his release is quick enough to render that moot. And he's been doing this for most of the year with an injured right (shooting) wrist that needs surgery when the season ends. The young man has been amazing all year, it's just that now he's got a national stage on which to strut his stuff. Three other noteworthy performances: Texas guard A.J. Abrams Abrams went for twenty-six, and the Longhorns ended up needing all of those as they hung on to defeat Miami 75-72 in North Little Rock. Western Kentucky guard Courtney Lee Lee didn't have his best showing in the Hilltoppers' overtime win on Friday, but he definitely made up for it with twenty-nine points and seven rebounds in WKU's 72-63 win. Mississippi State guard Jamont Gordon The Bulldogs fell short in their rally against Memphis, but Gordon was one of the main reasons as to why they still had a chance late. He racked up 21 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, but I'm sure he'd take a less impressive stat line if that meant a reversal of the 77-74 result.