One Shinning Moment

An insipid, fitting end to a pretty uninspiring 2009 tournament. 

Like Attracts Like

Tonight's game between the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils and the third-seeded Villanova Wildcats should be a good one. Maybe even a classic. The two teams love to run, and aren't afraid to throw up a three when the spirit moves them. Duke and 'Nova are also mirror images of one another defensively, playing a tough brand of man-to-man, allowing only 90.9 and 90.8 points per 100 possessions, respectively. The two teams are so much alike, some people have even gone so far to call Villanova the "Catholic Duke," which is taking things a little too far, and an insult to James II, the real Catholic Duke, maybe the greatest of them all. But I digress. Here are three reasons to like the Blue Devils, followed by two solid reasons to get behind the Cats, Duke's doppelganger of the hardwood. 

1. Gerald Henderson: Is there a more impressive athlete in the tournament? You'd be hard-pressed to find one. In fact, fuck it, I'm going to say it, if you'll pardon the hyperbole: Henderson, who almost went to Villanova, is the best pure talent to play at Duke since Grant Hill. Seriously. The 6-4 guard scored 24 points against the Texas Longhorns in the round of 32, and is a threat to take over a game at any given moment. He's going to make 'Nova's backcourt earn their money tonight. 
2. Elliot Williams: A lot of people are pointing to Kyle Singler as the key to a Duke victory. I, however, think the play of Williams, particularly his perimeter defense, will play a significant part in whether the Blue Devils advance or go home. Since he joined the starting five, Duke is 10-1, their only loss coming at the hands of North Carolina. He might not be the star of the team, but he does make them better when he's on the court. What else can you ask?
3. Coach K:  Love him or hate him, Mike Krzyzewski can coach. Although he's gone a bit sour in recent years, he seems to have been rejuvenated from the experience of coaching Team USA to an Olympic gold medal. Like any good coach, he's getting the most out of his team, which always come to play, and the recent ACC championship has put the swagger back in his and his team's game. 

Meanwhile, 'Nova fans have almost as many reasons to be excited:

1. Jay Wright: The Villanova head coach has a recording of "One Shinning Moment," the NCAA tournament's official theme song, rigged to the door of his office so it plays every time a visitor opens the door, according to Sports Illustrated. The man wants a national championship like Hillary Clinton wanted the White House (h/t N.T.). His defensive schemes, in-game adjustments and unadulterated desire to win rival those of Coach K. 
   
2. Dante Cunningham: Villanova's best chances of winning, I think, rest in the long arms of Cunningham, one of the nation's top interior players. This season, he led the Wildcats with 16 points and 7 rebounds a game. I figure most of tonight's game will take place on the perimeter, but the difference might just come down to Cunningham's ability to score points in the paint and, conversely, stop Kyle Singler from getting his. 

God, this is going to be a good one. I'm pulling for 'Nova, but I have no idea how it's going to turn out. 

Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Mo

The No. 2 Memphis Tigers take on the third-seeded Missouri Tigers tonight in what is bound to be an exciting and exhausting game. Here are two reasons to back Memphis.

1. "The Memphis Attack": Predicated on guard play, Memphis’s offensive philosophy, a variation on the Dribble Drive Motion, is to get to the basket as many times as there are possessions. Their plan of attack is simple and effective: attack the rim and either finish at the hoop, or dish the ball to someone who can score either on the low block or beyond the arc. It’s organized chaos, really, and very difficult to defend, even for outstanding defensive teams like Missouri. 
   
2. Tyreke Evans: The starting freshman guard is charged with making this high-octane offense go, and he seems to be doing a pretty good job of it. Since taking over at the point, Memphis is 27-0. Could be a just a coincidence or a product of the start of conference play (Ed. Note: Memphis conference isn’t very good). But 27 straight wins is nothing to sneeze out. If Evans, who’s looked a little shaky over the first two rounds of the tournament, can hold on to the ball, Memphis should be in pretty good shape. 
   

Of course, Missouri came to play too. Here are three reasons to be excited about Mizzou.

1. “Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball”: Based on Nolan Richardson’s “40 Minutes of Hell,” Mizzou’s answer to Memphis’s motion offense is to counter with a balls-to-the-wall, full-court pressure defense. Quite simply, the Tigers attack, attack, attack on the defensive end, which, understandably, causes all sorts of problems for the opposition. They never let up, essentially running their opponents into the ground. Tonight’s game is going to be a battle of attrition. Whichever team’s left standing at the buzzer wins. 
   
2. Leo Lyons: Although he’s 6-9, he possesses the skill set of a point guard. This doesn’t mean he plays small; he can handle the ball and create his own shot from anywhere on the court. He can play inside or outside, he can block shots, and is almost always going to get to the glass. I expect him to stick Evans at several points tonight. Lyons might be able to rattle the young freshman just enough for Mizzou to pull off the upset. 
   
3. DeMarre Carroll: a 6-8, 225-pound senior, Carroll averaged close to 17 points and seven rebounds a game this year. He’s also an important kog in Mizzou’s hell-on-wheels defense. Combined with Lyons, he could give Memphis's staring front line of Shawn Taggert and Robert Dozier all sorts of problems. 

One in Four

You know the drill. Here are four reasons why Pittsburgh, the top seed in their region, will take out the fourth-seeded Xavier Musketeers tonight in the regional semifinals.  Xavier's single beacon of light shines forth below.    

1. DeJuan Blair: An absolute force down low, Blair is one of the best rebounders and defenders in the country. He can score, too, averaging about 16 points a game to go with his 12 boards. The only way to stop him is to get him into foul trouble. Otherwise, he's almost unstoppable. 
   
2. Sam Young: If things aren't working for Blair, the Panthers usually look to Young, who can seemingly do a little of everything. He can hit the three, as he showed again and again and again against Oklahoma State in the second round. Like Blair, he can also bang down low. Young's a handful, and one of the best second options in the country. 
   
3. Levance Fields: Known simply as "the General," Fields, a stocky, Brooklyn-born point guard knows how to run Pitt's offense. He averages close to eight assists per game, and has an ungodly 4:1 assist/turnover ratio, one of the best ratios in the country. There is no other player in the country I would trust more with the ball late in the game. 
   
4. Pitt's D: I've mentioned how good Pitt is at the end other end of the floor, but there defense is nothing to laugh at either. Sure, there are, without question, better defenses in the country; statistically, Xavier's is more efficient and more likely to get a big stop than Pitt's. Still, Pitt is pretty damn good at defending the basket and cleaning up the glass. I like their chances of shutting down Xavier's slightly above-average, A-10-style offense.
   

So why should the Musketeers even show up? Easy. Sean Miller, their head coach.  Since 2004, when he took over Xavier's basketball program, the Musketeers have gone 117-45, reaching the NCAA tournament in four of Miller's first five seasons. In 2007, Miller, who first made a name for himself as a star point guard for Pitt in the late 80s, was two minutes away from knocking out mentor--and former Xavier coach-- Thad Matta's Ohio State team, which featured Greg Oden, before a few bad plays late and a couple of terrible calls cost the Musketeers an unexpected trip to the Sweet 16. Miller is one of the best strategists in college basketball. If any coach can figure out a way to beat Pitt, it's Miller.  

Presidential Picks

Although I don't agree with all of President Obama's picks, his bracket appears to be in order. The man knows what he's doing. Why am I not surprised? For a detailed explanation of his bracket, take a look here. It's worth the read. 

Know Your Bracket Busters 6

Eric Maynor first made a name for himself when he single-handedly knocked out the Duke Blue Devils in the first round of the 2007 NCAA tournament. Since then, coach K’s bete noir has gotten even better, averaging 22 points, six assists and almost two steals per game this season for Virginia Commonwealth University, the Colonial Athletic Association champion. Arguably the best point guard in the country, Maynor is one of those rare talents that can simply take over a game at any given moment, and will undoubtedly be a first-round pick in the upcoming NBA draft, along with UCLA's Darren Collison, his opponent in the first round of the NCAA tournament. 

Maynor is dangerous, folks, and as good as the game.

Know Your Bracket Busters 5

Matt Kingsley (right) is the anchor of Stephen F. Austin’s punishing team defense, which, believe it or not, allows fewer points per 100 possessions than title contenders Wake Forest, Kansas, Duke, Villanova, Pittsburgh, North Carolina and, among others, Syracuse, the Lumberjacks’ opening round opponent. Kingsley, a 6-9 senior center, can also ball on the other end of the court, averaging 16 points and eight rebounds this season. He scored 20 or more points eight times and notched a respectable six double-doubles, to boot. Named the Southland Conference’s player of the year, Kingsley also picked up the conference tournament’s Most Valuable Player award after the Lumberjacks won the Southland Conference championship, the first in school history.

Know Your Bracket Busters 4

Mississippi State's Jarvis Varnado, a 6-9 junior center, is an absolute beast on the defensive end. Not only did he lead the country in blocked shots with approximately 5 per game, his 165 total blocks this season broke Shaquille O'Neal's Southeastern Conference record of 157, which has stood unthreatened since 1992.  Varnado, who has a 7-4 wingspan, was named the SEC defensive player of the year last week, becoming the first player in conference history to win the award two years in a row. During the SEC tournament, he averaged 14 points and more than 5 blocks over four games. In the Bulldogs's 64-61 victory over Tennessee in the championship game, he put up 10 points and blocked six shots, locking up the tournament's Most Valuable Player award. Varnado should give Washington all it can handle inside when the Bulldogs, winners of six straight, take on the Huskies in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Know Your Bracket Busters 3

Arizona will only go as far as center/power forward Jordan Hill takes them. Sure, the Wildcats have small forward Chase Budinger and point guard Nic Wise to help pick up the offensive slack, but Jordan is the team's defensive presence and, as far as I can tell, its singular source of toughness. Hill, a 6-1o junior who averaged 18 points, 11 rebounds and about 2 blocks per game this season, knows how to finish around the basket and holds his ground defensively on the low post, which could give Utah's Australian center Luke Nevil, a 7-1 junior, all he can handle. 

The Wildcats have a long history of stinking up the NCAA tournament, and a number of sports writers and commentators believe the wildly inconsistent Cats, who lost to UAB but also beat Kansas, Gonzaga and UCLA, didn't deserve to make this year's tournament, especially as a 12-seed. If Hill plays like he did against the Bruins on Valentine's Day (22 points, 13 rebounds and 2 blocks), however, he and his Arizona teammates might just silence a few critics and, in the process, bust up a bracket or two.  

Know Your Bracket Busters

Ben Woodside, a fifth-year senior for the North Dakota State Bison, averaged an impressive 22 points and six assists per game this season. He also shot an ungodly 42 percent from beyond the arc. This past weekend, he hit a 17-footer against Oakland in the Summit Conference tournament championship to put the Bison into the NCAA tournament for the first time, in the school's inaugural year in Division I competition. Woodside even had a walk-on role on this here blog earlier this year, after he dropped 60 points in a triple-OT loss to Stephen F. Austin.  

Woodside and his No. 14- seeded Bison take on the number three seed Kansas Jayhawks in the first round of the Midwest region, in Minneapolis, Woodside's home state, and a manageable drive, I've been told, from the NDSU campus.

You've been warned.