The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Sweet 16/Elite 8 are taking place in 4 cities around the country and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from DC with 4 of the bluest bloods in the sport.
Pregame meal: whatever I can afford with my $20 meal voucher…which turned out to be 3 chicken tenders and some French fries. My 1st big sighting of the night was Stanford Steve, who was courteous enough to let me enter the media workroom ahead of him. My best basketball sighting of the night was Duke FR superstar Cameron Boozer during warmups:
I was hoping for a seat down low but I cannot compete with all the big-time media members who are here. Then again, I heard that it costs $800 just to get into the building tonight, so I will take my nosebleed media seat and like it. Let’s tip off an enchanting evening of hoops in the nation’s capital:
GAME #1: St. John’s-Duke
Duke G Caleb Foster missed each of his team’s 5 postseason games this month due to a fractured right foot, so when he checked into the game after the under-16 timeout the Duke fans welcomed him back with a loud cheer. It was a close game throughout the 1st 20 minutes as the Blue Devils shot a sizzling 50 FG%. However, even though the Red Storm was a mediocre 3-PT shooting team during the season (33.2 3P%), they came out on fire with an equally sizzling 9-18 3PM and entered intermission with a 40-39 lead. I went downstairs at halftime and saw proud papa Carlos Boozer holding court behind the Duke bench:
Duke quickly retook the lead in the 1st 3 minutes of the 2nd half before St. John’s stormed back with a 13-0 run to take a 53-44 lead at the under-16 timeout. It is never fun to face a Hall of Fame coach like Rick Pitino and his pressure defense was on full display, forcing the Blue Devils into multiple turnovers while trying to inbound the ball and a 10-second call when they failed to hustle the ball over halfcourt. Boozer (double-double with 22 PTS/10 REB) and Zuby Ejiofor (great all-around game with 17 PTS/8 REB/6 AST/0 TO) showed out like the conference POY award-winners that they are, but it was Duke SG Isaiah Evans who looked like the best player on the court with 25 PTS/10-15 FG. The Johnnies stayed hot all game by making 13-32 3PM, but the Blue Devils countered with a 24-8 FTA advantage and hung on for an 80-75 victory and a spot in the Elite 8 on Sunday, with 1992 Duke national champ/current Howard coach Kenny Blakeney looking on:
I skipped the press conference, headed for the Duke locker room, and did a quick postgame interview with SR G/F Brock Davis:
You were born/raised in DC: how thrilling is it to win a Sweet 16 game in your hometown arena? It was a great win and a special night: this memory will last a lifetime. Also, we are going to win on Sunday.
Your team is now 28-0 when Isaiah Evans makes at least 3 threes in a game: how crucial is his 3-PT shooting to your team’s success? He is 1 of the best shooters that I have ever seen in my life.
I just saw Caleb Foster wheeling himself down the hallway after returning from a right foot fracture to score 11 PTS in 19 minutes: how was he able to do that? He is a warrior. To have an injury and be able to come back with a performance like that shows how he just kept fighting for possession after possession.
Cameron Boozer had yet another double-double with 22 PTS/10 REB: I know that I should be impressed but he seems to do that every single time he steps onto the court? That is because you have become desensitized to how good he is. He is a special talent who embodies everything that it means to say “Duke basketball”. He is a generational player.
How does it feel to be 1 win away from the Final 4? We are excited/prepared and have a lot of momentum so we will battle/compete on Sunday.
Let’s tip off the 2nd part of our doubleheader:
GAME #2: Michigan State-UConn
Former Spartans football coach Mark Dantonio has shown up to a lot of big basketball games in the past, and tonight was no different:
I missed most of the game while interviewing Cam Ward’s parents and wondering what range of emotions were going through the mind of 1991 Michigan State All-American Steve Smith:
The Huskies did what they usually do in March under Dan Hurley: win. That is a wrap for tonight but check back tomorrow for some Elite 8 coverage!
