March Madness conversation: MIDWEST Region

[wisteria]

no joke. I'm so glad we are playing in Tampa.

Good thing we didn't play in Tampa.

[JasonEvans]

Good thing we didn't play in Tampa.

We have played there before... and it did not go well (1999-- )

As an aside, Clemson played like dog poop last night. WTF was that?!?!?! Where was the team that played smart, inspired basketball against Duke and even showed up to give UNC a bit of a game in the ACC finals? Could Mays an Booker have sucked any worse than that? James Mays, Cliff Hammonds, and Sam Perry ended their careers playing about as poorly as they can. I mean, Stitt was the only guy on that team to play an even moderately good game.

If just one of Mays, Hammonds, Booker, Rivers, or Oglesby play close to a normal game then Clemson wins that game against a Villanova team that probably did not even belong in the NCAA Tourney.

For a team that had been dying to make it back to the NCAA tourney and had pushed to reach this stage for this for so long, they really laid an egg.

--Jason "yes, I am pissed because I had them in the Sweet 16" Evans

[ne1btunc]

someone call the doc cause they choked it away....yeesh!

[BCGroup]

No kidding, Jason. It didn't even look like the same team that played us. UGGHHHH>

[dukelifer]

We have played there before... and it did not go well (1999-- )

As an aside, Clemson played like dog poop last night. WTF was that?!?!?! Where was the team that played smart, inspired basketball against Duke and even showed up to give UNC a bit of a game in the ACC finals? Could Mays an Booker have sucked any worse than that? James Mays, Cliff Hammonds, and Sam Perry ended their careers playing about as poorly as they can. I mean, Stitt was the only guy on that team to play an even moderately good game.

If just one of Mays, Hammonds, Booker, Rivers, or Oglesby play close to a normal game then Clemson wins that game against a Villanova team that probably did not even belong in the NCAA Tourney.

For a team that had been dying to make it back to the NCAA tourney and had pushed to reach this stage for this for so long, they really laid an egg.

--Jason "yes, I am pissed because I had them in the Sweet 16" Evans

I went to bed thinking Clemson had this wrapped up. They need their big men to be big men. That is a big disappointment for the ACC. They had all the elements to make a run. I am thinking they went into the game with a lot of adrenaline and then relaxed at half time and could never recover. But what a series of games in that Pod. Of course, UCLA and Kansas benefited the most from Tampa, should they hold serve this round as expected.

[ugadevil]

I watched the majority of the Clemson game, and still can't believe that team. Talk about giving the game away...they have so much talent and so much potential, but they just disappear at times. Really, they were fortunate to get back in it at the end with the technical foul on Jay Wright. I think Oliver Purnell needs to start recruiting guys based on free throw shooting ability. Not only did Clemson leave points at the FT Line, you could tell that the misses were affecting them mentally, which then impacted the rest of their game.

[Chard]

Ug. Hit some ft's and Clemson may have advanced. 18 point lead in the 1st? Gone.

I noticed that Villanova was able to bang with Clemson. When Villanova fouled, Clemson was unable to convert. It was basically a turnover. Also, Hammonds went 0-6 from three point land. What's with the ACC seniors?

Clemson just added to the "Duke gets everyones best shot" theory two games in a row.

[Windsor]

I was at the Tampa games yesterday (wow...what a day!!) Clemson, even with a first half lead of 18 look unsettle and ragged. I was really surpised that during the first half that the game was not very physcal. During half time in line at the concession stand some of the Clemson faithful were really ragging on some Villanova folks - when some orange clad yahoo said 'no one comes back from 18 down on us' I told the 'Nova fans to run to the locker room and get their team some light blue jerseys and Clemson would fold up like a lawn chair.

Second half Villanova started to pound on Clemson and they had no answer Villanova's offense the entire game could best be describe as 'frantic' I only can remember a handful of times where they ran a deliberate offensive set. It seemed to be contagious - Clemson's offense was all over the place. When 'Nova's coach got the 'T' late and Clemson tied it up I though that would be it for them...but they refused to go away. They hit their free throws down the stretch. I though it was interesting that when Oglesby missed at 1:24 and they were down only four the Clemson 'faithful' started heading for the exits!

It was a great day in Tampa: In other games...I love Siena. Love 'em! Great fans, great kids. San Diego had the loudest 20 person cheering section I've ever heard. That was great game. You could feel San Diego start to beieve they could win, and the crowd was behind them. Western Kentucky? Second greatest buzzer beater I've ever seen.

[delfrio]

I thought Oglesby really helped give that game away. He'll probably be a great player (in the mold of someone opposing fans love to hate, with all the fouls drawn), but he seemed out of control. Throwing up rushed, covered shots and wild passes really hurt Clemson's chances at crunch time.

[ugadevil]

OK...Stephen Curry! Are you kidding me?!?!?!?!?!?!

[Chard]

Ha, ha! I'm glad to see another poster is watching this. Go, Davidson!

[dyedwab]

Upsets Georgetown, 74-70.

Stephen Curry is just an amazing, amazing player....Wow!

[OldSchool]

Davidson literally a giant-killer today!

This tournament was almost a massacre for the #2 seeds this weekend - Duke and Georgetown going down, Butler very nearly taking down Tennessee and Texas surviving a Miami comeback at the end.

[billybreen]

Awesome for Davidson. In my fun (not for money) bracket, I picked that game. I look like a rock star (for now).

[prefan21]

Davidson literally a giant-killer today!

This tournament was almost a massacre for the #2 seeds this weekend - Duke and Georgetown going down, Butler very nearly taking down Tennessee and Texas surviving a Miami comeback at the end.

I loved the little score panel at the bottom of the screen:

DAVID 74 GTOWN 70 looked a little like DAVID 74 GOLIATH 70

[Cavlaw]

Wow! Brilliant! I have a sweet sixteen team to cheer for after all!

[Ann Arbor Devil]

Sad to say, but somehow this loss makes me feel better about ours by showing the Russian Roulette nature of the tourney. Imagine how difficult it would have been to stomach blowing a 17 pt 2nd half lead.

Somehow the Hoyas lost despite shooting 63% from the field. Amazing.

[dyedwab]

Imagine how difficult it would have been to stomach blowing a 17 pt 2nd half lead..

Bad memory, Duke-KY, St. Pete, 1998

[Indoor66]

Sad to say, but somehow this loss makes me feel better about ours by showing the Russian Roulette nature of the tourney. Imagine how difficult it would have been to stomach blowing a 17 pt 2nd half lead.

Somehow the Hoyas lost despite shooting 63% from the field. Amazing.

...but under (?) 60% for free throws!

[Classof06]

Curry is quickly getting the recognition he should've been receiving all along. What a player. 40 points in the first game, 30 in the next? Are you kidding me? I'm sure the people at Virginia Tech are trying to figure out why they didn't give the kid an offer despite his father being one of the best players to ever play there. That's gotta hurt.