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DEL.ICIO.USMark Bradley’s Friday Fallout
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Bradley
Every Friday until the end of the regular season, Mark looks at who’s up, who’s down and what you should be watching as the countdown continues to the Final Four in Atlanta.
THE TOP SEEDS
If the season ended today, here’s what the top four seeds in each region should look like:
SAN ANTONIO
1: Florida
2: Kansas
3: Memphis
4: Virginia Tech
SAN JOSE
1: UCLA
2: Wisconsin
3: Georgetown
4: Nevada
EAST RUTHERFORD
1: North Carolina
2: Pittsburgh
3: Washington St.
4: Butler
ST. LOUIS
1: Ohio State
2: Texas A&M
3: S. Illinois
4: UNLV
RISING: Louisville
Louisville was 12-6 on Jan. 19 without a single victory
of significance. The Cardinals have since won eight of 10 to rise to third place in the Big East. Winning at Pittsburgh and at Marquette last week, the latter on a 3-pointer at the horn, punched the ‘Ville’s NCAA ticket.
FALLING: Oregon
The month began with Oregon challenging UCLA atop the Pac-10. Heading into Thursday night’s game against Washington State, the Ducks had won only once in February, and three consecutive losses, the most recent a 19-point thrashing at Stanford, had put even an NCAA bid in peril.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
• WISCONSIN AT OHIO STATE, 4 p.m. Sunday, CBS
It’s still No. 1 against No. 1, even though the Badgers, who top the AP poll, lost Tuesday at Michigan State, and even though the Buckeyes, who head the coaches’ poll, had to rally to beat a terrible Penn State team the next night. Wisconsin won the first meeting 72-69 on Jan. 9.
MID-MAJOR OF THE WEEK: Winthrop
Winthrop won at Missouri State over BracketBuster weekend and then rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit to beat High Point and clinch the Big South regular-season title. The Eagles are 24-4, their losses coming at North Carolina, Maryland, Wisconsin and Texas A&M.
NAMES TO KNOW: Nevada’s Ramon Sessions and Marcelus Kemp
Center Nick Fazekas is the big man on the Nevada campus, but junior guards Kemp and Sessions are essential. Kemp is the WAC’s third-leading scorer; Sessions is third in assists. They led the Wolf Pack to two January road wins after Fazekas sprained his ankle.
FUN WITH NUMBERS
VMI averages a best-in-the-nation 103 points. The rampaging Keydets, alas, are only 12-17. Their opponents, see, average 99.6 points. VMI is only 10-7 in games where it has scored 100-plus points, including 122-117 and 118-108 losses to Liberty, which is 13-16.
Permalink | Comments (6) | Post your comment | Categories: Final Four, Mark Bradley
Comments
By Larry
February 23, 2007 05:24 AM | Link to this
Barring a late season collapse, GT will get in. Because of their athleticism they will win the first game, possibly the second. However, they will likely lose the second, and definitely the 3rd game because they are not very well coached.
The game against Duke exemplified this, as a more experienced Tech team looked baffled against Duke’s well coached, hustling and disciplined FRESHMAN!
Coach K could have switched benches and beaten Duke by 10.
By Jason
February 23, 2007 09:16 AM | Link to this
It’s kind of hard to beat Duke when they have three officials playing for their team as well. How is it possible for Duke to have 34 free throws in the game and Tech to have 4??? That game was not fair and it never will be at Duke. Tech beat them up there a few years ago and had the game been fair, it would have been by a much bigger margin.
By Navigator
February 23, 2007 11:25 AM | Link to this
Hewitt’s team beat Duke at Duke a few years ago. The coaching isn’t the problem, the recruiting is the problem. Hewitt brought in players that he can’t get their attention (goin to the NBA). I really thought he learned a few years ago that he can’t win with these guys. I really think he needs to recruit good players that didn’t come in with the thought of playing 1 or 2 years. There’s never more than 1 National Champion each year, so I wish Hewitt would look at his consistency in the conference first, and then consistency in the level his teams reach in the NCAA tournament each year. I really don’t think he has that focus. It’s almost as if he thinks the ACC is just an irritant he has to deal with each year.
By Hamp
February 23, 2007 03:13 PM | Link to this
Although the free throw difference was actually 28 to 4, I never heard any complaints when Tech shot 29 free throws to Duke’s 11 when the game was in Atlanta.
By Branch Rickey
February 23, 2007 04:02 PM | Link to this
Mark, Why did I get banned from Kentucky site?? All I did was ask them if the players they recruit know that Adolph—appropriate name—Rupp was an avowed racist who thought the “N” word was a normal part of every sentence?? Also asked them if they knew Mr Rupp purposely chose Thomas Paine as his first Black recruit because he had pretty good idea he would get in trouble—He did.
Now obviously the man had much success coaching at a time when the Deep South resembled Major League Baseball Pre-1947, but still to name a basketball arena after a racist when 90% of your players are African Americans and 99.9% of people in attendance in arena are not—Well, it seems a little strange. Adolph made Bear Bryant look like Rosa parks when it came to race relations.
Might also want to check out their web site at Scout.com as their pursuit of Patrick Patterson out of Huntington, West Virginia borders on the maniacal. They are willing to keep Tubby just to get Patterson. Now do you think Patterson realizes Tubby is always under intense pressure in Lexington for “things” having little to do with coaching?? Boy, wish I was recruiting against these stooges, first thing I’d do is break out 1966 stories about Texas Western game and other of Adolph’s—what an appropriate name, REALLY!!!—social commentary and ask these kids if they wanted to play in the House That Bigotry Built??
By Mark Bradley
February 23, 2007 05:04 PM | Link to this
WHITE POWER!!