Posts Tagged ‘Kansas City site’
Analysis: 2 Oklahoma def. 10 Michigan
2 Oklahoma 73
10 Michigan 63
South Region second round • Sprint Center, Kansas City, Mo.
By Zachary Osterman
– I’ll admit that I held this opinion of Michigan before this game: While I think the Wolverines advanced much more quickly than expected in John Beilein’s thinking-man offense and 1-3-1 defense, they aren’t there yet. Oklahoma did well against that zone defense, but I still think Michigan just hasn’t fully grasped the ins and outs, if you will.
Analysis: 2 Memphis def. 10 Maryland
2 Memphis 89
10 Maryland 70
West Region second round • Sprint Center, Kansas City, Mo.
By Jeff Greer
– Memphis struggled for a good 35 minutes against Cal State Northridge in the first round, but today was nothing like that. The Tigers worked their press, penetrated the Maryland defense at will and hit jump shots. I know the Terps have hung around with (and beaten) some very good teams this year, but the combination of Memphis’s suffocating defense and hot shooting really put Maryland on the ropes from the outset.
Analysis: 2 Oklahoma def. 15 Morgan State
2 Oklahoma 82
15 Morgan State 54
South Region first round Sprint Center, Kansas City, Mo.
By Jeff Greer
– Oklahoma’s chances to make the Final Four — or even the Sweet Sixteen — hinge on its ability to limit turnovers and play solid defense. I don’t know if you can judge the Sooners based on their performance against 15th-seeded Morgan State, but they at least ratcheted up the D for one game. Oklahoma forced Morgan State into too many 3-point attempts and really looked strong on the glass. The Sooners still didn’t do enough work to eliminate some of the stupid turnovers that plagued them late in the season – remember, Oklahoma lost four of six prior to the NCAA tournament. They committed 15 turnovers against an inferior opponent. Imagine what Michigan’s 1-3-1 zone will do.
Analysis: 10 Michigan def. 7 Clemson
10 Michigan 62
7 Clemson 59
South Region first round • Sprint Center, Kansas City, Mo.
By Zachary Osterman
– Clemson’s frontcourt kept them in the game, scoring 39 points and getting layups and dunks on backdoor cuts and offensive rebounds. The Tigers’ advantage on the glass was also glaring, as they pulled down 21 offensive boards and 44 overall.
At the Arena: Tough, love
Alex Prosperi of the Michigan Daily reports from Kansas City on the Michigan-Clemson game:
– Michigan coach John Beilein is a master of words. After sophomore guard Kelvin Gray airballed a jump shot with the shot clock winding down in the first half, Beilein ripped into him about his shot selection. But then he complemented the point guard on his ability to break Clemson’s quick full-court press.
– The NCAA must regulate the number of personnel allowed on the bench. Michigan redshirt freshmen Ben Cronin and Corey Person as well as a team manager are both sitting first row in the section across from the Wolverines’ bench. Director of basketball operations Brian Townsend is sitting a few rows up behind the Michigan bench.
– Down three at halftime, Clemson shooting guard Terrence Oglesby walked off the court looking like he had just seen a ghost. The sophomore, who shoots nearly 40 percent from 3-point range, was a mere 1-for-6 from behind the arc in the first half.
Analysis: 10 Maryland def. 7 Cal
10 Maryland 84
7 Cal 71
West Region first round • Sprint Center, Kansas City, Mo.
By Wyndam Makowsky
– Cal got into some serious foul trouble that changed the dynamic of the game. Except for Jerome Randle, all of their starters had three fouls by about the 12-minute mark in the second half. With the contest so close, Mike Montgomery wanted his best men on the floor, but they couldn’t be nearly as aggressive as they were earlier in the game, and it showed. They backed off shooters and didn’t stand their ground in the paint, which allowed Maryland to find open looks.
At the Arena: Oski does his thing
Alex Prosperi of the Michigan Daily reports from Kansas City:
– During a timeout, Cal’s mascot, Oski, went over to someone on press row who was sleeping. The bear clapped his hands a few times and the man woke up. About 100 fans saw this and applauded.
– Cal point guard Jerome Randle is listed at 5-10. If that’s his height, then I’m Yao Ming. When he ran out during warmups, he was just a little taller than the cheerleaders. But he sure is quick.
Analysis: 2 Memphis def. 15 Cal State Northridge
2 Memphis 81
15 Cal State Northridge 70
West Region first round • Sprint Center, Kansas City, Mo.
By Jim Reedy
– Simply put, this was the greatest day of Roburt Sallie’s athletic life. Memphis had absolutely nothing going, was playing at half-speed and had three starters in foul trouble for most of the first half. But Sallie, who averaged 4.5 points this season, scored 35 points, including 10-of-15 shooting on 3-pointers. Totally unreal.
At the Arena: Gary’s not happy
Mark Selig of the Diamondback reports from the Maryland-Cal game in Kansas City:
What Gary Williams has been saying on the sideline bears repeating. Problem is, we can’t do that a family forum. Let’s just say that Maryland’s head coach isn’t happy with his team’s sloppy offense in this afternoon’s 7-10 game from the West bracket.
How do I know this? A set of profanity-laced tirades clued me in.
Williams is indefatigable on the sideline. He shouts out plays for his team to follow on both ends of the court. And when the Terps deviate from those sets, you can bet they’ll hear it from their head coach.
At the Arena: Raise the Flag
Alex Prosperi of the Michigan Daily reports from Kansas City, where No. 2 seed Memphis barely held off Cal State Northridge:
– Toward the end, you could see the sense of relief from Memphis’ bench. They haven’t loss a Conference USA game since 2006, but a loss here would have had everyone calling them paper Tigers. John Calipari told his team at halftime that they were being arrogant. He’s probably got a good point.
– The cheerleader waving the giant Northridge flag isn’t quite big enough, and he’s having a little trouble.
