NCAA Tournament First Round: Friday, March 18th

Posted on March 18, 2022 by David Griggs

-#10 LOYOLA CHICAGO VS #7 OHIO STATE.  We were really big on this Loyola team coming into the year, and while there were times they appeared to be disappointing they really did pull it together late and looked impressive in the MVC Tournament.  They are looking to get past the Round of 64 for the third time in five years.  Ohio State has also shown signs of being really good, so this one should be a good one.

#15 JACKSONVILLE STATE VS #2 AUBURN.  Jacksonville State got in via the Atlantic Sun auto-bid even though they didn’t win the conference tournament, but they were still arguably the most deserving team.  Many think Auburn is good enough to win it all, and I think they’ll coast in this one.

#14 MONTANA STATE VS #3 TEXAS TECH.  I really like this Montana State team and was very impressed with what they did in the Big Sky this year.  That being said, I just think this Texas Tech team is too much for them.  The Red Raiders proved that they can play and beat the very best, and had some of the best singular wins of any team this entire season.  As great as an upset would be, I just don’t see it happening.

#14 YALE VS #3 PURDUE.  Yale gets in after winning the Ivy League and beating out a pretty good Princeton team, but Purdue seems to be way over their heads.  The Boilers weren’t always flawless, but they have shown that they can be as good as anyone in the country.

#15 DELAWARE VS #2 VILLANOVA.  Nova is just too much of a heavyweight.  Delaware has had a great season and it’s exciting to see them back in the Big Dance, but I don’t see them staying with the Wildcats.

#10 MIAMI FL VS #7 USC.  I’ve liked this Miami FL team all year.  They have some huge wins against teams like Duke, and I always thought they should be getting more respect than what they were.  Well, now is a chance to really earn some respect!  It wouldn’t just shock me if they won today, but I could see them getting to the second weekend of this Tournament.

#11 NOTRE DAME VS #6 ALABAMA.  Notre Dame is coming off a thrilling win against Rutgers, so they should enter this game with a lot of momentum and I can actually see that working to their advantage.  Alabama had some great wins this year, particularly beating Gonzaga in Seattle, but there were also times where they struggled away from home, so don’t be surprise if the Irish really make them sweat.

#11 VIRGINIA TECH VS #6 TEXAS.  I was never all that big on this VA Tech team this year, but I cannot deny that what they did in the ACC Tournament was absolutely incredible.  It wouldn’t shock me if they kept it going and managed a win today.  Texas is good.  Texas is talented.  Texas appears to be better.  But…VA Tech has picked a great time of the year to be playing their best basketball.

#13 CHATTANOOGA VS #4 ILLINOIS.  I know that this is a popular upset pick in certain circles, and Chattanooga certainly had an impressive year, but it seems like every time they had a chance to swing over their heads they came up just short.  I don’t think the Illini will have too much trouble moving on.

#15 CAL STATE FULLERTON VS #2 DUKE.  Cal State Fullerton is the team most of America will be rooting for!!  Duke is the team that most of America is expecting to win!!  And…rightfully so.

#11 IOWA STATE VS #6 LSU.  I like this Iowa State team, and quite frankly thought they are good enough and did enough to be seeded a little better than 11th.  On the flip side, LSU seems to be on a downward spiral with their coach getting fired just prior to the start of The Tournament.  Iowa State seems like the team to pick, but who knows?  Maybe the LSU players and team really rally around each other and are able to go on a run.

#16 WRIGHT STATE VS #1 ARIZONA.  Wright State is coming off their First Four win over Bryant, but are simply way too overmatched against an Arizona team that is good enough to win this whole tournament.

#12 UAB VS #5 HOUSTON.  I like this UAB team a lot, and I think Houston is overseeded.  I’m genuinely impressed with what Houston has done this year and how they’ve been able to keep winning despite so many key injuries, but I still don’t think their resume indicated they should be seeded this high.  UAB will be a popular upset pick and it wouldn’t shock me at all if it happened.

-#10 DAVIDSON VS #7 MICHIGAN STATE.  I like how this Davidson team plays, and I’d love to see them get to the Round of 32.  Michigan State is a team that we thought would be better, but still appears to have all the pieces to play at a high level and go deep into this tournament.  It wouldn’t shock me if the Spartans lost today.  It also wouldn’t shock me if they went all the way to the Final Four.

-#14 COLGATE VS #3 WISCONSIN.  I like this Wisconsin team a lot and while I’m impressed with what Colgate did in the Patriot League, I just think this Wisky team is way too much for them.  It wouldn’t shock me at all if Wisconsin went very deep into this tournament.

-#9 TCU VS #8 SETON HALL.  I like what both of these teams did this year and pretty much think this game is a toss up.  I think I like TCU just a little more, but both are good, both are battle tested, and both are capable of giving Arizona a game in the Round of 32.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Iowa cheerleader Libby Brosius and dancer Cassidy Erner

Posted on March 17, 2022 by Jon Teitel

Last Sunday Iowa beat Purdue 75-66 in the Big 10 tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Hawkeyes lot their regular season finale at Illinois but won 4 games in 4 days to make the NCAA tourney as a top-5 seed for the 2nd year in a row…although it did not end well. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Iowa cheerleader Libby Brosius and dancer Cassidy Erner for a combo interview about dealing with COVID and the post-graduation plan.

What made you choose Iowa? Libby: My parents both attended the school and my mom was a cheerleader so it was always something that I wanted to do. Cassidy: I have always been interested in being on the Iowa dance team my whole life and was a huge fan.

How did you 1st get into cheerleading/dancing, and what is the best part? L: I have some family who cheered. I think the best part is simply that I have a lot of fun doing it. C: My mom put me in a dance class at age 6 and I never wanted to stop after that. I could never imagine giving up that passion so I stuck with it during college.

What do you think the role of a college cheerleader/dancer is today, and how has it changed over time? L: We are very much ambassadors of the university we attend. It was always like that but we get more recognition now and it is more competitive, such as when we compete at nationals. C: It is a really cool opportunity to root on all of our sports teams and compete against other universities

What are you majoring in, and why did you pick that subject? L: I am a recreational therapy major. I took a visit to the children’s hospital as a freshman and absolutely fell in love with the idea of helping kids. C: I am currently in nursing school. It is definitely a challenge but it is cool: I get to interact with patients and always knew that I wanted to go into the medical field.

What do you hope to do after graduating? L: I plan to attend the Child Life graduate program at Iowa for the next 2 years. C: I am a junior so not entirely sure yet but either become a registered nurse or attend grad school for nursing.

How frustrating has it been to be part of a spirit squad for a great basketball team during a pandemic? L: It was definitely frustrating when we were unable to do anything because I just wanted to be out there doing what I loved. It is great to have the opportunity again to get back out there but we still have ups and downs. C: It has been a little different for the dance team. We attended nationals but did not get to experience the gameday side of things.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Montana State cheerleader Jaclyn Saunders

Posted on March 17, 2022 by Jon Teitel

Last Saturday Montana State beat Northern Colorado 87-66 in the Big Sky tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Bobcats lot their conference opener to the Bears in early December but got revenge at the right time as they made the NCAA tourney for the 1st time since 1996. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Montana State cheerleader Jaclyn Saunders about dealing with COVID protocols and winning the conference tourney.

You grew up in Montana: what made you choose Montana State? My grandpa and sister both attended Montana State so I decided to keep the tradition going. I also wanted to stay in Montana and heard that MSU had a good Computer Science program.

How did you 1st get into cheerleading, and what is the best part? I started cheering during my freshman year of high school. A lot of my friends were going to try out and I thought that I would give it a try, too! The best part of cheer is the close-knit family type of relationship the girls and guys on the team have. There is truly nothing else like it!

What do you think the role of a college cheerleader is today, and how has it changed over time? The role of a college cheerleader today is as both an athlete and supporter of our athletic teams. I do not believe our role has changed much over time as much as the way that others have viewed us has. Cheerleaders may have just been seen as sideline entertainment in the past but now we are more recognized as strong athletes in our sport.

You are majoring in computer science: why did you pick that subject, and what is the post-graduation plan? I grew up playing computer games 24/7 with my sister. I was always curious how games like that were made, as well as computers in general. I guess I could have been considered a tomboy in my early years and that just carried on through college! Right now I am doing an internship involving web development so I might continue with something like that.

You were named to the undergraduate honor roll last spring: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? I learned some major time management in high school while doing sports and taking difficult classes. Those skills transferred over to college although it is definitely not easy. I just have to stay motivated and make sure to spend some time with friends as well as get some rest.

How frustrating has it been to be a cheerleader for a great basketball team during a pandemic? There have definitely been some setbacks as far as the pandemic goes for both cheer/dance but we are very fortunate to be able to do our sport. We were only able to do one event the entire 2020-21 season so this year has been much better and nearly back to normal!

Last Saturday in the Big Sky tourney title game the Bobcats beat Northern Colorado: how excited was everybody to see them make the NCAA tourney for the 1st time since 1996? The atmosphere was amazing for that game. The stadium was nearly packed and probably 90% of the attendees were Bobcat fans. I was confident that they would make it to the championship game…but to have both the men’s and women’s teams winning the tournament was crazy. The fans were ecstatic to say the least.

How does your school decide who gets to go to the NCAA tournament, and what will it mean to you to see your group doing its thing in front of a national TV audience? For both the men’s and women’s tournaments we are allowed 12 spirit squad members plus a mascot. Our coach decides who goes to both the tournaments, but for cheer we try to have 6 couples for stunting purposes. Even seeing ourselves on the big screen during the Big Sky tournament was a huge deal. My family kept sending me videos of us on TV when the men’s game aired on ESPN. We are hoping to get some airtime for the games this week as well!

Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for the NCAA Tournament? We have been practicing hard all season and are just ready to show off our hard work and do our best to support the Cats.

You play Texas Tech on Friday: any predictions? I have heard from multiple people outside of MSU who have the Cats upsetting Texas Tech in their brackets. We have had great seasons in all of our athletics with football going to the national championship and now BOTH of our basketball teams in March Madness. We are on a roll and I do not think our winning streak will end any time soon!

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All-Access at the 1st/2nd rounds in San Diego: Notre Dame press conference

Posted on March 17, 2022 by Jon Teitel

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The 1st/2nd rounds are taking place in 8 cities around the country and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all of the angles so you can look forward to a cascade of coverage in the days ahead. Jon Teitel commences our coverage from San Diego with the Notre Dame press conference.


I asked SR G Prentiss Hubb about becoming the 1st player in the NCAA tourney since 2011 (maybe ever?!) to play at least 44 minutes and have at least 7 AST with no turnovers. He said the change really happened after he had 4 TO in the loss to Virginia Tech in the ACC tourney and wanting to prove that he is good at handling the ball. He wants to be the PG presence for his teammates and if he can hold onto the ball then they can just keep the offense flowing.


I asked Coach Brey where this ranks among the greatest St. Patrick’s Days in his career, and whether we will see anything special tomorrow like a green jacket or green uniforms. He said they will stay with their blue road uniforms tomorrow. There were so many great/fearless plays by his kids that he hopes it can get them over the hump in a close game. When you wake up after a few hours of sleep and open the window to some lovely 80-degree ocean views in San Diego it is a lot nicer than the lake-effect snow that is probably hitting South Bend tonight!

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All-Access at the 1st/2nd rounds in San Diego: Wright State press conference

Posted on March 17, 2022 by Jon Teitel

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The 1st/2nd rounds are taking place in 8 cities around the country and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all of the angles so you can look forward to a cascade of coverage in the days ahead. Jon Teitel commences our coverage from San Diego with the Wright State press conference.


I asked JR G Tanner Holden whether he learned any lessons from their prior game against a team with size last November at Purdue (7’4” Zach Edey/6’10” Trevion Williams) and how he can follow up arguably the best all-around game of his career in the win over Bryant (37 PTS/11 REB). He said that Purdue was definitely a tough matchup for them and that they were not very confident in ourselves. He had a great game against Bryant but it says a lot about his team. He happened to be the leading scorer but gave all the credit to his teammates/coaches for putting him in position to be successful.


I asked Coach Scott Nagy what kind of advantage he had due to the fact that he has over 500 more wins as a head coach then Tommy Lloyd does. He said the best advantage remains his players. He has coached a heck of a lot of good players, and Tommy has plenty of great players on his team. Being in his 5th tourney helps a little bit, as does playing last night, as his team should be a little calmer tomorrow. He told the team that while a lot of people think just getting to the NCAA tourney is nice, winning a game in the tourney last night was 1 of the greatest experiences of his life.

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All-Access at the 1st/2nd rounds in San Diego: Seton Hall press conference

Posted on March 17, 2022 by Jon Teitel

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The 1st/2nd rounds are taking place in 8 cities around the country and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all of the angles so you can look forward to a cascade of coverage in the days ahead. Jon Teitel commences our coverage from San Diego with the Seton Hall press conference.


I asked SR G Myles Cale what advice he had for his younger teammates in March since his 153 games played is the most in school history (including a few NCAA tourney games). He told them to treat it like a regular game, have fun, and enjoy the weather/fans. It is the same game that you have been playing since you were a kid so just treat it like that and you will excel.


I asked Coach Kevin Willard how big a factor FT shooting will be, as his opponents have made a ridiculous 77.3 FT% but TCU is only shooting 66.8 FT%. He said he has to be nicer to the referees! He does not know if it is a coincidence but said his team’s FT attempts have gone down since January. He would like them to get to the line more but at this time of the year you are stuck with who you are.

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