Hoops HD

HoopsHD continues its simulation of what would have happened in TTTW (The Tournament That Wasn’t).  Up next it is time to continue with the First and Second rounds of the NCAA Tournament as we take a look at the third of four pods in the West Region.  Although these games were part of the West Region, thee first and second round games were being played in Greensboro, North Carolina and featured two of the top four teams this season in the ACC – Duke and Virginia.  Both the Blue Devil and Cavaliers entered the season with national championship aspirations, but to make them a reality they would first need to win this pod and advance to the Sweet 16.  Neither team had an easy first round opponent either, as the defending national champion Cavaliers were matched up with a very dangerous East Tennessee State team and the Blue Devils had to get past UC-Irvine.  Would it be Duke?  Would it be Virginia?  Would one of the other two surprise?  It is time to find out!

FIRST ROUND – WEST REGION – GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA

(6) Virginia vs (11) East Tennessee State

Eyes were raised when the NCAA Tournament bracket was announced and the chance for an all-ACC second round game between Virginia and Duke was set up.  However, as the Selection Committee Chair explained, the two teams had only played once in the regular season, and the bracketing rules allowed just such a matchup to be scheduled.  Before that game could ever happen, however, both teams would have to get past tough first-round foes.  For the defending national champion Cavaliers, that foe was East Tennessee State, the regular season and tournament champions of the Southern Conference.  ETSU had been tough all season, including winning at LSU, and had the computer metrics to back up their seeding in the field being higher than several at-large bid teams.

East Tennessee State, at least on paper, was the scariest of all four 11 seeds in the Big Dance.  The Buccaneers showed early in this game that teams were right to be scared of them.  After keeping the game close for the first 14 minutes, the Bucs ended the half on a 17-9 run and took a 34-24 lead to the break.  Virginia head coach Tony Bennett knew his team had to play one of their best halves of basketball to come back in the second period.  Unfortunately for UVA fans, that did not happen.  ETSU never let Virginia back in the game and ended up cruising to a 71-51 blowout win, led by 18 points from Jeromy Rodriguez.  The Bucs were moving on to the second round and the defending champions were heading back home.

Final Score: (11) East Tennessee State 71, (6) Virginia 51

(3) Duke vs (14) UC-Irvine

Although an all-ACC second round game was not going to happen, the Duke Blue Devils still knew they had their work cut out for them to advance through this pod and book a trip to Los Angeles for the Sweet 16.  Duke’s season had been an up-and-down one, with a few baffling losses to the likes of Stephen F. Austin, Clemson and Wake Forest, while at the same time picking up wins over Kansas, Michigan State and Florida State.  To get their tournament run started, the Blue Devils had to face the Big West regular season and tournament champions, UC-Irvine.  The Anteaters were in their second consecutive NCAA Tournament after rolling through conference play, only losing 3 times to Big West teams in 19 games (including the conference tournament).

Duke came out ready to play in this game, and halfway through the first period the Blue Devils had already established a 14-point lead.  The lead just continued to grow through the remainder of the first half and by the break the score was 52-34 Duke.  Although the Anteaters played better in the second half, by that time Duke was simply on cruise control.  The final score was 88-75, though the game was not even that close.  Vernon Carey’s 26 points led the way for the Blue Devils while Tre Jones had a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists.

Final Score: (3) Duke 88, (14) UC-Irvine 75

SECOND ROUND – WEST REGION – GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA

(3) Duke vs (11) East Tennessee State

The Buccaneers of East Tennessee State had blown the defending national champions out of the tournament in the first round.  Things would not get any easier for them, however, as the Duke Blue Devils, playing in their home state, were up next in the Round of 32.  Duke appeared ready to make a deep Tournament run after having taken care of UC-Irvine fairly easily in their first game.  Of course, ETSU had already proven that they were not a typical mid-major team, and Duke needed to show up ready to play in order to win this game.

Duke needed to be ready, but apparently the Blue Devils were not.  East Tennessee State struck hard and fast in this game, jumping out to a 24-9 lead and simply dominating the first half to head to the break up by an almost mind-baffling 48-29 score.  It was finally time for the entire nation to take serious notice of the team from Johnson City, Tennessee.  ETSU never let Duke back into the game and rolled to an 85-67 win, their second straight blowout victory over a team from the mighty ACC.  Five different Bucs scored in double figures, led by 14 from Bo Hodges.  Virginia was gone.  Duke was gone.  The Sweet 16 team was set, and it was the 11^th seeded Buccaneers booking their tickets for a trip to Los Angeles.

Final Score: (11) East Tennessee State 85, (3) Duke 67

HoopsHD continues its simulation of what would have happened in TTTW (The Tournament That Wasn’t).  Up next it is time to continue with the First and Second rounds of the NCAA Tournament with a look at the second of four pods in the West Region.  The Oregon Ducks entered this pod as the 4-seed and favorite to advance to the Sweet 16, but first they had to get by Missouri Valley Conference champion Bradley and then take on the winner of the BYU-Vermont game.  Who would have come out of this pod and advanced to Los Angeles to take on Gonzaga?  It is time to find out.

FIRST ROUND – WEST REGION – SPOKANE, WASHINGTON

(5) BYU vs (12) Vermont

12-seed Liberty upset Auburn in the South Region.  12-seed Xavier upset Ohio State in the Midwest Region.  With the first two 12-seeds already having won their first round games, the BYU Cougars were certainly on upset alert for their game against 12-seed Vermont.  BYU had an amazing season, winning 24 games, finishing second in the West Coast Conference, and being one of only two teams all season to defeat Gonzaga when they knocked off the Zags 91-78 back on February 22.  Vermont won the America East regular season and conference tournament titles and entered the NCAA Tournament as a popular pick to pull off the first-round upset.

The Catamounts may have been a popular pick, but it was the Cougars that jumped out early in this game, grabbing a 14-4 lead just over 5 minutes into the game.  BYU held the lead throughout the first half, with only a Ben Shungu jumper at the end of the first half keeping Vermont within single digits, trailing 47-39 at the break.  The second half clearly belonged to BYU as well, as Vermont was never able to make a run and the Cougars locked up the win by a final score of 99-82.  TJ Haws scored 25 points and Yoeli Childs had a double-double for the victors.  The Vermont Catamounts, despite 24 points from Anthony Lamb, were heading back home, their season over.  BYU advanced to the Round of 32, and maybe another shot at Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 beyond that.

Final Score: (5) BYU 99, (12) Vermont 82

(4) Oregon vs (13) Bradley

The Oregon Ducks captured the Pac-12 regular season title by a game over UCLA, though they later fell to the Bruins in the championship game of the conference tournament.  Despite that loss, the Ducks had done enough to capture a top-four seed in the Big Dance and a chance to play their first two rounds in the Pacific Northwest.  Oregon’s first round opponent was the Missouri Valley tournament champion Bradley Braves.  Bradley, despite finishing tied for third in the Valley, won Arch Madness for the second straight year in order to capture the league’s automatic bid.

Oregon was a heavy favorite heading into this game, and it was therefore no surprise that the Ducks dominated.  Bradley trailed by 10 points at halftime, and the second half wasn’t even that close.  At the end of the day, Oregon had a 78-55 blowout win and a date with BYU in the Round of 32.  Payton Pritchard was the star of the game, scoring 21 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing out 8 assists for the Ducks.

Final Score: (4) Oregon 78, (13) Bradley 55

SECOND ROUND – WEST REGION – SPOKANE, WASHINGTON

(4) Oregon vs (5) BYU

After both teams had pretty much coasted through their first round matchups, the stage was set for a 4 vs 5 battle between Oregon and BYU in Spokane.  The Ducks were the favorites to win once again, but BYU had as much if not more talent than a lot of Oregon’s opponents throughout the entire season, led by TJ Haws and Yoeli Childs.  The game had all the earmarks of a classic, with a berth in the Sweet 16 and a shot at Gonzaga on the line.

The first half did not look at all like the close game fans were expecting.  Oregon jumped out early and built an 11-point lead 6 minutes into the game.  By the under-8 timeout of the first half, Oregon looked ready to blow it open, holding a commanding 32-14 lead.  But BYU was not done, as the Cougars chipped away and were able to close to within 10 at the break.  BYU’s run continued into the second half, and a short jumper by Childs with 12:04 left to play tied the game at 54.  The media timeout hit, and after it was over, Oregon seemed to revert to their first half form, going on a 20-4 run to build a 16-point lead.  But the Cougars were still not done.  They immediately struck back with an 18-3 run of their own to pull within a single point, 77-76, with just over a minute left to play.  Oregon missed several free throws in the final minute, and BYU ended up having an amazing 6 different attempts to either tie or take the lead – none of which went.  Misses late by Childs, Haws and Jake Toolson sealed the Cougars’ fate and Oregon somehow escaped with a 79-76 win.  Payton Pritchard led the way for the Ducks with 25 points and 12 assists.

Final Score: (4) Oregon 79, (5) BYU 76

HoopsHD continues its simulation of what would have happened in TTTW (The Tournament That Wasn’t).  Up next it is time to continue with the First and Second rounds of the NCAA Tournament with a look at the first of four pods in the West Region.  Top-seed Gonzaga’s path to a potential Final Four begins in Spokane, Washington with a matchup against 16-seed Boston University and, should they avoid the upset, the winner of LSU vs Rutgers awaits in the second round.  Will the Zags make the Sweet 16 or will someone else surprise?  It is time to find out!

FIRST ROUND – WEST REGION – SPOKANE, WASHINGTON

(1) Gonzaga vs (16) Boston University

The first pod in the West Region, being played in Spokane, Washington, featured the top-seed in the West, the Gonzaga Bulldogs, taking on Patriot League tournament champion Boston University.  Gonzaga had an amazing 2019-20 season, winning 31 regular season games and capturing both the West Coast Conference regular season and conference tournament titles.  Mark Few’s team’s path to the Final Four would first have to take them past a Boston University team that had upset Colgate on the road in their conference tournament title game.

The Zags came out ready to play in their first round game, quickly jumping on the Terriers and building out a 16-point lead by the halftime break.  The second half was simply more of the same, as BU never made any serious run and Gonzaga was moving on to the second round by a final score of 88-67.  Filip Petrusev was the top scorer for the Zags with 16 points while Joel Ayayi was a force defensively, pulling down 14 rebounds.

Final Score: (1) Gonzaga 88, (16) Boston University 67

(8) LSU vs (9) Rutgers

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights had not made the NCAA Tournament since 1991, the longest drought among any power-conference team.  That all changed this season when the Scarlet Knights proved to be a force at home, scoring wins over the likes of Seton Hall, Maryland, Penn State, Illinois and Wisconsin.  Although Rutgers struggled away from the RAC, their first round NCAA Tournament game, in Sacramento against LSU, was most certainly not a true road game by any means.  LSU entered the Big Dance following an up-and-down season that included several head-scratching losses, most notably a loss at Vanderbilt, but still saw the Tigers tie for second in the SEC and win 22 games overall.

It had been almost 30 years since Rutgers last played in the NCAA Tournament.  Scarlet Knight fans were very hopeful that it would be nowhere near that long before they returned again, however, they would need to find a way back in again in the future if they wanted to score their first Tourney win since 1983.  LSU came ready to play, jumping out to a 37-29 halftime lead and cruising home for an 80-64 victory.  Ja’vonte Smart led the way with 19 points for the Bayou Bengals, who were on to the Round of 32 and a date with top-seed Gonzaga.

Final Score: (8) LSU 80, (9) Rutgers 64

SECOND ROUND – WEST REGION – SPOKANE, WASHINGTON

(1) Gonzaga vs (8) LSU

The Gonzaga Bulldogs were playing their first two rounds practically in their backyards in Spokane and were looking to use that advantage to advance to the Sweet 16 in Los Angeles.  After already having taken care of business against Boston University, the Zags had only Will Wade’s LSU Tigers between themselves and the second weekend of the Big Dance.  LSU had looked about as good as they had all season in their first round win over Rutgers.  Defeating a Rutgers team that only won twice away from home all season was certainly not akin, however, to beating Gonzaga in Spokane.

Gonzaga may have had the home advantage, but LSU showed up ready to play, jumping out to an early 6-point lead before fighting tooth-and-nail with the Zags the rest of the first half.  A jumper at the buzzer from Skylar Mays gave the Bayou Bengals a surprising 48-41 halftime advantage that had the entire arena on edge.  The Zags were able to retake the lead 5 minutes into the second half, but the game remained tight after that until a Killian Tillie 3-pointer put Gonzaga up 77-75 with just over 6 minutes left to play.  It was a lead that Gonzaga would not relinquish the rest of the way, as they made their free throws down the stretch and held on for a hard-fought 97-89 win.  Six different Zags players scored in double-figures in the win, including a team-high 18 points from Admon Gilder off the bench.

Final Score: (1) Gonzaga 97, (8) LSU 89

HoopsHD continues its simulation of what would have happened in TTTW (The Tournament That Wasn’t).  Up next it is time to continue with the First and Second rounds of the NCAA Tournament with a look at the fourth and final of the four pods in the Midwest Region.  The  Creighton Bluejays, fresh off one of the school’s best seasons ever, which included a tie for the regular season title and the conference tournament championship, were looking to advance to the Sweet 16, and needed a win over Northern Kentucky in the first round to have that chance.  First up, however, is a game that would have gone down in history as one of the greats in the tournament.  What would have happened?  It is time to find out!

FIRST ROUND – MIDWEST REGION – ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

(7) Iowa vs (10) Arizona State

In a tournament that has already seen more than its fair share of great head coach matchups, perhaps the most-anticipated first round pairing was the one between Iowa’s Fran McCaffery and Arizona State’s Bobby Hurley.  Vegas oddsmakers even had numbers set on which coach would be more likely to be ejected from the game!  Coach McCaffery’s Iowa Hawkeyes has a strong season in the deep Big Ten, though a three game losing streak entering the Tournament had probably cost them at least one seed line.  Coach Hurley’s Arizona State Sun Devils, on the other hand, had used a strong run in the middle of the Pac-12 season to move from being outside the Bubble to clearly in the field.

The NCAA Tournament in its history has given us good games, great games, and an occasional game so amazing that we remember it for years to come.  It was this later type of game that we were in store for today.  The Hawkeyes and Sun Devils began the game with both teams trading shots back-and-forth the entire first half.  The biggest lead for either team was Iowa’s 6-point lead seconds before halftime, but a Taeshon Cherry jumper at the buzzer cut that down to four, 43-39.  The second half was just as fun, as nether team opened a lead larger than 4 points the entire way.  A Remy Martin free throw put the Sun Devils up by 2 points with 13 seconds left to play, but Luka Garza banked one in with 5 seconds to go to tie the game and send it to overtime tied at 84.  In the OT period, Iowa came out shooting and quickly built what appeared to be a commanding 9-point lead, 96-87, with 2 minutes left to play.  The Sun Devils were not done, however, as 3-pointers from Rob Edwards and Remy Martin helped them pull to within a single point, 98-97 with 5 seconds left to play.  After Iowa’s Bakari Edwards made a pair of free throws, Arizona State had one chance left to tie…and Taeshon Cherry’s three at the buzzer found nothing but net to send the game to a second OT period.

Luka Garza had been the hero for Iowa at the end of regulation, sending the game into OT.  Taeshon Cherry had been the hero for ASU at the end of the first OT, sending it to a second extra period.  The second overtime, which was back and forth with neither team opening a lead of more than 3 points the entire 5 minutes, needed a hero as well.  When Arizona State’s Romello White sunk a pair of free throws with 6 seconds left on the clock to put his team up 112-109, it was Iowa that would be in need of that hero.  CJ Fredrick promptly donned his superhero costume and became just that, sinking a 3 from the right corner at the buzzer, and sending the game off to an amazing third overtime with yet another buzzer beater!

The third OT period provided just as many thrills as the first 50 minutes of the  game had.  The teams exchanged leads multiple times until a pair of Rob Edwards free throws put ASU up 126-123 with 1:30 left to play, and a pair of defensive stops followed by an Alonzo Verge basket extended that lead to 5 with only 26 seconds left to play.  Once again, however, the Hawkeyes were not done.  CJ Fredrick missed a 3-pointer with 18 seconds on the clock but Luka Garza grabbed the offensive rebound, kicked the ball back out, and Fredrick’s next 3 found the net and cut the lead to 2 with 7 seconds left to play.  Iowa promptly fouled Rob Edwards, who walked down the court and missed both free throws, giving Iowa one last chance.  Joe Wieskamp got a potential game-winning shot off from halfcourt as time expired….but the ball was long, the game was over, and Arizona State had won the game of the Tournament so far, 128-126 in triple overtime!  Romello White’s stat line for the Sun Devils – 28 points and 21 rebounds – was simply amazing, though Remy Martin (28 points), Rob Edwards (27 points) and Alonzo Verge (22 points) all had games to remember.  Even in the loss, several Hawkeyes put up great numbers, as Luke Garza (35 points and 14 boards) joined Joe Wieskamp and Jack Nunge all with double-doubles on the game.  In the end, Arizona State’ season continued and Iowa’s had come to an end.

Final Score: (10) Arizona State 128, (7) Iowa 126 (3ot)

(2) Creighton vs (15) Northern Kentucky

Having to play the game that followed the amazing triple-overtime thriller between Iowa and Arizona State was not an easy task for Creighton and Northern Kentucky – especially when both teams had to wait an extra hour for the prior game to end and their warmups to begin.  The Creighton Bluejays entered this game as the 2-seed in the Midwest.  They had tied for the Big East regular season title and followed that up with a Big East Tournament championship, making this by far their best season since joining the Big East.  The Selection Committee had awarded Creighton with a 2-seed, making them the favorite to advance out of this pod and to the Sweet 16.  First up, however, they needed to get past the Horizon League tournament champion Northern Kentucky Norse.  Despite only having recently transitioned up to Division I, the Norse had become a force in their conference, and were making their third NCAA Tournament appearance in the past four years.

The game was supposed to be an easy warmup for Creighton before their second round game against Arizona State.  Instead, the city of St. Louis gave fans their second straight thriller.  The Norse played the Bluejays tight the entire first half, and went to the break trailing by a score of 33-29.  NKU then came out of the lockerroom on fire, bursting out with a 10-2 run to take the lead, 39-35.  The Norse would eventually extend that lead to as many as 9 points before Creighton started to fight back.  A reverse layup by Christian Bishop gave the Bluejays the lead back with 1:41 left to play.  Creighton tried to pull away in the final minute, but a pair of baskets by Jalen Tate kept the Norse right there.  With Creighton up two and in possession of the ball,. Marcus Zegarowski was fouled with seconds left on the clock.  A pair of high pressure free throws put the Bluejays up by 4, a lead they needed when NKU’s Trevon Faulkner’s 3-pointer at the buzzer found the net.  Creighton had survived, however, and advanced to the second round by the narrowest of margins, 69-68.

Final Score: (2) Creighton 69, (15) Northern Kentucky 68

SECOND ROUND – MIDWEST REGION – ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

(2) Creighton vs (10) Arizona State

The first round Midwest Region pod in St. Louis had provided a pair of thrillers, with Arizona State winning an amazing triple-overtime thriller over Iowa and Creighton having escaped Northern Kentucky by only a single point.  Thus, there was little doubt among fans that the city of St. Louis was set to host what could be another amazing game in the second round as the two teams squared off with a berth in the Sweet 16 and a trip to Indianapolis on the line.

Winning a game in triple overtime can be taxing on a team, both physically and mentally.  Although the fans expected a great game, the fact was that the Sun Devils came out looking like a team that was still exhausted from their win over Iowa.  Creighton dominated the first half, holding the Sun Devils to only 19 points, and took a 33-19 advantage into the break.  Although ASU played a lot better in the second half, the Bluejays appeared to be pretty much set on cruise control.  The game was never truly a contest and Creighton had a spot in the Sweet 16 thanks to a fairly easy 74-60 win.  Mitch Ballock led Creighton in scoring with 25 points on the game and Marcus Zegrowski contributed 14.  Creighton was on their way to Indianapolis, and a date with 3-seed Michigan State.

Final Score: (2) Creighton 74, (10) Arizona State 60