SEASON 5
Recent Game Recaps
Epilogue, The Ninth: Only Love Can Break Your Heart
Memories
So We Meet Again
Rte. 139 - End of the Line
Hanging On
A Championship in Pictures
This Time of Year
Dotson Leads Ducks to the Sweet Sixteen
Grizzlies Overwhelmed by Orangemen
Empire
Challenge 11: Final Four Memories
By George, UConn is DeadButler and Us
Donning the Black and Gold
Challenge 10: Tourney Memories
The Madness of the Horizon LeagueThe Rare Ivy League Conference Tournament
MAC Madness
Anything Can Happen in the MAAC
Challenge 9: Shock The Neighborhood
A Youthful SurpriseFrom Worst to First
Peers and Seers
March 15, 2009 8:28 am ET by Kyle Whelliston |
Bullet Points
Brackets
America East
You may disagree about how they got here, how they did it, whether they "deserve it" or not. We're not thrilled about the approach ourselves, and I was proven wrong after I said before the season that BU would be a chemistry disaster. One thing is for certain now: the Binghamton Bearcats are the America East champions right now, and they will be respected as champions until they aren't anymore. Yesterday afternoon at the Mid-Majority Events Center, 6-6 senior Reggie Fuller -- one of many BU players who weren't at the school as freshmen -- double-doubled for the second time in three weeks against UMBC. Fuller's 19 points and 10 rebounds suggested that the Retrievers may not have an answer for him. Binghamton did not score a single point for a five-minute stretch near the end of the game, but they didn't need to... the defense (which takes chemistry, you know) closed UMBC out.
at [1] Binghamton 61, [6] Maryland-Baltimore County 51 | GameFlo
Atlantic 1
First there was an Atlantic 14. Then 12, 10 for a brief dinner break on Wednesday, then eight and four, then two. Now there is an Atlantic 1. And it's Temple. The Owls are the champions again, after withstanding the punishing efforts of a team that was attempting to win four games in four days out of a No. 7 seed. Fran Dunphy's March Men turned back a Duquesne rally late in the first half, then stayed slightly ahead across a slow-motion second. Dionte Christmas, a man for whom no bad sportscaster pun is resistible, scored 29 points to put the Dukes away. And now, as promised, a musical tribute to Temple's accomplishments: an operatic heavy metal anthem by the group DëthBallÿ called "Atlantic 1." Well, for now it's a demo that I recorded on my Blackberry while driving across Ohio.
[4] Temple 69, [7] Duquesne 64 | GameFlo
Big West
In the late-late game, Pacific rebounded from an early 11-3 deficit and struggled to get even for most of the second half. But the Tigers struck at around 2 a.m. Eastern time to force overtime against Cal State Northridge with free throws. Rodrigue Mels, something of a bit player during the season, had a massive tourney for the champs. A day after posting a career-high 28 against UC Santa Barbara, the man from the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe scored 23 points and added seven boards... it was his two giant 3-pointers in overtime that finally put the pesky Tigers to rest. Secret weapon! Following the game, CSN head coach offered one of the great Championship Fortnight quotes: "The team showed the ability to beat the demands of reality."
[1] Cal State Northridge 71, [3] Pacific 66 | GameFlo
MEAC
The average attention span in college basketball is about one student cycle, or four years, so Morgan State's recent accomplishments (regular season championship and title game loss in 2008, first MEAC team in the BracketBusters) might lead you to believe there's a rich recent history here. To the contrary. Before Todd Bozeman arrived at warm Hill Field House after a long winter in NCAA exile, the Bears were in complete hibernation for two decades, and went 4-26 just three seasons ago. They seemed to be in the MEAC's 6/11 game every March, and the double-digit win barrier was seldomly broken. But now they're in the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever, using four double-figure scorers to overcome an incredible 30-point effort by Norfolk State's Michael Deloach and hold off the Spartans for the title.
[1] Morgan State 83, [3] Norfolk State 69 | GameFlo
Mid-American
It was a painful game to watch, but Akron won the MAC's Heartbreak Bowl with a devastating shooting display. The Zips converted on 55 percent of their shots, sealed off the paint from Buffalo's bigs, and cruised to a win that was inevitable after just 12 minutes of action. The McKnights, Brett and Chris, combined for 28 points for a young team that will likely have a lot of winning in its MAC future. What a time for Cleveland basketball, huh? LeBronmania is in full effect, Cleveland State is in the Dance for the first time since 1986, and Akron is NCAA-bound for the first time since... 1986! What a time that was... Bob Huggins was the Zips' head coach, "Do Fries Go With That Shake?" was on the radio, and... the Cavs and World B. Free were 29-53.
[5] Akron 65, [3] Buffalo 53 | GameFlo
SWAC
The Jackson State Tigers used superior size to build a large early lead, but they couldn't put the game away and went cold from the foul line in the second half. That chill was all Alabama State needed, and the Hornets zoomed out to a mid-stanza lead with a series of mid-range jumpers. ASU has its first SWAC title since 2005, and avenged last year's eliminator to JSU, when a 77-72 semifinal drop in overtime forced the regular season champions into the NIT. And if you're a blogger or otherwise are counted upon for basketball coverage, please lay off Chief Kickingstallionsims (below). We freaking get it, it's a funny name. But he scored five points in 14 minutes, and the Hornets are a lot more than a cheap and effortless joke. Andrew Hayles, the SWAC POY as a junior who took it upon himself to defer often as a senior (earning him TMM POY honors this year), led all scorers with 17 and earned tourney MVP.
[1] Alabama State 65, [2] Jackson State 58 | GameFlo
Western Athletic
The most efficient offense in Hoops Nation was clicking on all cylinders last night, as Utah State claimed a tourney championship to back up its regular-season flag. A homestanding Nevada team shot just 31 percent and only had a small sputtering run out of halftime, and was rarely seen in this contest. Luke Babbitt, the Wolf Pack's freshman phenom, suffered from ESPN stage fright and made just three of his 12 shots (eight points)... this will be the performance that either defines him or makes him an angrier and better player after a 16.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg initial collegiate season. But this was a night for blue Aggie ice cream, horchata and "The Scotsman," as USU put four in double figures to take its Dance decision out of the Selection Committee's hands and seal its NCAA destiny.
[1] Utah State 72, [2] Nevada 62 | GameFlo
On Tap Today
Southland
Texas-San Antonio, wracked by injuries last season, are on the verge of the SLC title after putting themselves in a tough seed position with a February slump. The Roadrunners lost five of their last seven games, were ineffective on the road, but put together two solid performances against the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds to advance to the final. That's a plot that may sound familiar -- after all, a deceptively good Texas-Arlington won this conference out of the No. 7 seed last season. Stephen F. Austin, a clock-miling team even though it won't admit to being such, is looking for its first Dance card ever and will have to defeat the 11th fastest team in the country (75.2 possessions per 40 minutes) to get it. Tempo is key in Hoops Nation's final title game of the season.
1:03 pm ET - [6] Texas-San Antonio19-12 (8-8) vs. [1] Stephen F. Austin 23-7 (13-3) | Preview
Recent: 03/07/2009 SFA 66 @UTSA 62 03/13/2008 SFA 71 UTSA 60
Photos: owlsports.com; gomatadors.com; bubearcats.com; AP/Chuck Burton; AP/Mark Duncan; Vandal Nation
- Seven championships were awarded on Saturday. Binghamton won its first-ever America East title; Morgan State is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever out of the MEAC. Temple repeated as Atlantic 14 champions; Akron is on the Big Bracket for the first time since 1986. Alabama State achieved NCAA glory in the SWAC for the first time since 2004. Utah State won its first WAC autobid after three years away from the NCAA's, and Cal State Northridge backed up its Big West regular-season championship with a tourney title.
- One more sub-Red Line championship to go. The Southland title tilt is between Texas-San Antonio and Stephen F. Austin this afternoon.
Brackets
America East
You may disagree about how they got here, how they did it, whether they "deserve it" or not. We're not thrilled about the approach ourselves, and I was proven wrong after I said before the season that BU would be a chemistry disaster. One thing is for certain now: the Binghamton Bearcats are the America East champions right now, and they will be respected as champions until they aren't anymore. Yesterday afternoon at the Mid-Majority Events Center, 6-6 senior Reggie Fuller -- one of many BU players who weren't at the school as freshmen -- double-doubled for the second time in three weeks against UMBC. Fuller's 19 points and 10 rebounds suggested that the Retrievers may not have an answer for him. Binghamton did not score a single point for a five-minute stretch near the end of the game, but they didn't need to... the defense (which takes chemistry, you know) closed UMBC out.
at [1] Binghamton 61, [6] Maryland-Baltimore County 51 | GameFlo
Atlantic 1
First there was an Atlantic 14. Then 12, 10 for a brief dinner break on Wednesday, then eight and four, then two. Now there is an Atlantic 1. And it's Temple. The Owls are the champions again, after withstanding the punishing efforts of a team that was attempting to win four games in four days out of a No. 7 seed. Fran Dunphy's March Men turned back a Duquesne rally late in the first half, then stayed slightly ahead across a slow-motion second. Dionte Christmas, a man for whom no bad sportscaster pun is resistible, scored 29 points to put the Dukes away. And now, as promised, a musical tribute to Temple's accomplishments: an operatic heavy metal anthem by the group DëthBallÿ called "Atlantic 1." Well, for now it's a demo that I recorded on my Blackberry while driving across Ohio.
[4] Temple 69, [7] Duquesne 64 | GameFlo
Big West
In the late-late game, Pacific rebounded from an early 11-3 deficit and struggled to get even for most of the second half. But the Tigers struck at around 2 a.m. Eastern time to force overtime against Cal State Northridge with free throws. Rodrigue Mels, something of a bit player during the season, had a massive tourney for the champs. A day after posting a career-high 28 against UC Santa Barbara, the man from the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe scored 23 points and added seven boards... it was his two giant 3-pointers in overtime that finally put the pesky Tigers to rest. Secret weapon! Following the game, CSN head coach offered one of the great Championship Fortnight quotes: "The team showed the ability to beat the demands of reality."
[1] Cal State Northridge 71, [3] Pacific 66 | GameFlo
MEAC
The average attention span in college basketball is about one student cycle, or four years, so Morgan State's recent accomplishments (regular season championship and title game loss in 2008, first MEAC team in the BracketBusters) might lead you to believe there's a rich recent history here. To the contrary. Before Todd Bozeman arrived at warm Hill Field House after a long winter in NCAA exile, the Bears were in complete hibernation for two decades, and went 4-26 just three seasons ago. They seemed to be in the MEAC's 6/11 game every March, and the double-digit win barrier was seldomly broken. But now they're in the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever, using four double-figure scorers to overcome an incredible 30-point effort by Norfolk State's Michael Deloach and hold off the Spartans for the title.
[1] Morgan State 83, [3] Norfolk State 69 | GameFlo
Mid-American
It was a painful game to watch, but Akron won the MAC's Heartbreak Bowl with a devastating shooting display. The Zips converted on 55 percent of their shots, sealed off the paint from Buffalo's bigs, and cruised to a win that was inevitable after just 12 minutes of action. The McKnights, Brett and Chris, combined for 28 points for a young team that will likely have a lot of winning in its MAC future. What a time for Cleveland basketball, huh? LeBronmania is in full effect, Cleveland State is in the Dance for the first time since 1986, and Akron is NCAA-bound for the first time since... 1986! What a time that was... Bob Huggins was the Zips' head coach, "Do Fries Go With That Shake?" was on the radio, and... the Cavs and World B. Free were 29-53.
[5] Akron 65, [3] Buffalo 53 | GameFlo
SWAC
The Jackson State Tigers used superior size to build a large early lead, but they couldn't put the game away and went cold from the foul line in the second half. That chill was all Alabama State needed, and the Hornets zoomed out to a mid-stanza lead with a series of mid-range jumpers. ASU has its first SWAC title since 2005, and avenged last year's eliminator to JSU, when a 77-72 semifinal drop in overtime forced the regular season champions into the NIT. And if you're a blogger or otherwise are counted upon for basketball coverage, please lay off Chief Kickingstallionsims (below). We freaking get it, it's a funny name. But he scored five points in 14 minutes, and the Hornets are a lot more than a cheap and effortless joke. Andrew Hayles, the SWAC POY as a junior who took it upon himself to defer often as a senior (earning him TMM POY honors this year), led all scorers with 17 and earned tourney MVP.
[1] Alabama State 65, [2] Jackson State 58 | GameFlo
Western Athletic
The most efficient offense in Hoops Nation was clicking on all cylinders last night, as Utah State claimed a tourney championship to back up its regular-season flag. A homestanding Nevada team shot just 31 percent and only had a small sputtering run out of halftime, and was rarely seen in this contest. Luke Babbitt, the Wolf Pack's freshman phenom, suffered from ESPN stage fright and made just three of his 12 shots (eight points)... this will be the performance that either defines him or makes him an angrier and better player after a 16.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg initial collegiate season. But this was a night for blue Aggie ice cream, horchata and "The Scotsman," as USU put four in double figures to take its Dance decision out of the Selection Committee's hands and seal its NCAA destiny.
[1] Utah State 72, [2] Nevada 62 | GameFlo
On Tap Today
Southland
Texas-San Antonio, wracked by injuries last season, are on the verge of the SLC title after putting themselves in a tough seed position with a February slump. The Roadrunners lost five of their last seven games, were ineffective on the road, but put together two solid performances against the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds to advance to the final. That's a plot that may sound familiar -- after all, a deceptively good Texas-Arlington won this conference out of the No. 7 seed last season. Stephen F. Austin, a clock-miling team even though it won't admit to being such, is looking for its first Dance card ever and will have to defeat the 11th fastest team in the country (75.2 possessions per 40 minutes) to get it. Tempo is key in Hoops Nation's final title game of the season.
1:03 pm ET - [6] Texas-San Antonio
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