The Tournament That Wasn’t – East Region Rounds 1 and 2, Part I

Posted on April 2, 2020 by Chad

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 first of four pods in the East Region.  Cleveland, Ohio was the site of the games, and certainly provided a home court edge to the 1-seed Dayton Flyers.  Dayton would begin its run at a potential Final Four by taking on the Siena Saints, while Saint Mary’s and USC were matched up in the 8 vs 9 game.  Who would get the Sweet 16 spot?  It is time to find out!

 

FIRST ROUND – EAST REGION – CLEVELAND, OHIO

(1) Dayton vs (16) Siena

The Dayton Flyers had an amazing 2019-20 season, winning 32 games and only losing a pair of overtime thrillers to Kansas and Colorado.  The Flyers were a perfect 18-0 against Atlantic Ten foes during the regular season and followed that up with an A-10 tournament title as well.  Making the Final Four was not going to be an easy task, but to even have that chance, the Flyers would first have to win a pair of games in Cleveland.  First up was the Metro Atlantic tournament champion Siena Saints.  Siena had failed to win the MAAC championship while hosting the conference tournament each of the past five years, yet with the event moved down to Atlantic City, they finally claimed the title and a spot in the Big Dance.

With the fans in Cleveland behind them, the Dayton Flyers jumped out early against Siena, building a 7-point lead 6 minutes into the game.  The Saints hung tough after that, however, and were down by the same margin, 43-36, at halftime.  The same toughness that allowed Siena to stay in the game in the first half was the story of the second.  Every time Dayton tried to push the lead open, the Saints struck back.  In fact, with just 90 seconds left to play, Siena was still within striking distance, down by only 5 points.  The Flyers were able to use the pro-Dayton crowd, however, to lift them in the final minute and hung on for a hard-fought 81-72 win.  Jalen Crutcher scored 18 points to lead the Flyers while Obi Toppin had 16.

Final Score: (1) Dayton 81, (16) Siena 72

 

(8) Saint Mary’s vs (9) USC

In the first round in the Midwest Region, Xavier and Ohio State had traveled cross-country to play each other in Sacramento, California.  It only seemed appropriate therefore that a pair of California teams would exchange the favor and travel cross-country to meet in Cleveland.  The second round 8 vs 9 game matched up the West Coast Conference’s Saint Mary’s Gaels against the Pac-12’s USC Trojans.  The Gaels were a team that somehow found a way to hang with every opponent they played this season – including the ones they should have blown out.  However, they did win 26 games, including two over BYU, and clearly deserved the single-digit seed the Committee gave them.  USC, much like almost every team in the Pac-12, at times looked like the conference’s best team and at times looked like they didn’t even belong in the NIT or CBI.  At the end of the day, however, Andy Enfield’s squad won 22 games and deservedly had their dance tickets punched.

8 vs 9 first round games are normally predicted to be close battles, though on occasion they have been known to be one-sided blowouts.  The battle between the Gaels and Trojans proved to be the former, a hard-fought close game that was not decided until the final moments.  Neither team opened a lead of greater than 5 points the entire first half and it was the Trojans that held the advantage at the break, 36-33.  Southern Cal came out strong in the second half as well, not relinquishing their advantage and eventually stretching the lead to 11 points with 6:30 left to play.  The Gaels were not done, however, as 3-pointers by Jordan Ford and Malik Fitts pulled St. Mary’s to within a single point with only 6 seconds left on the clock.  After Ethan Anderson made only one of two free throws, St. Mary’s had one last chance.  Jordan Ford got a good look from beyond the arc at the buzzer, but his shot clanked off the rim and USC had the win, 69-67, and a shot at top-seeded Dayton in the second round.

Final Score: (9) USC 69, (5) Saint Mary’s 67

 

SECOND ROUND – EAST REGION – CLEVELAND, OHIO

(1) Dayton vs (9) USC

The Dayton Flyers had survived their first round test against Siena, though had certainly not looked dominant in doing so.  USC had managed to hold on, after almost blowing an 11-point lead late, to knock off Saint Mary’s in their opener.  It was therefore by no means a certainty that top-seeded Dayton would punch a ticket for the Sweet 16 in New York City in the second round matchup.  The Flyers did, however, once again have a huge advantage in fan support, with the vast majority of those in attendance in Cleveland pulling for them to win.

The first 14 minutes of the game were close, with Dayton carrying only the smallest of leads most of the way.  With 6 minutes left to play in the first half, Dayton’s lead was at a narrow 25-22.  That is when the Flyers decided to wake up.  When the halftime buzzer sounded, Dayton had just finished a 15-0 run and was now in front 40-22.  An 18-point deficit was simply too much for the Trojans to overcome in front of a hostile crowd, and the second half was simply no contest.  Dayton had the 88-60 blowout win behind 18 points each from Obi Toppin and Jalen Crutcher and a double-double from Trey Landers.  The Flyers were moving on to the Sweet 16 at Madison Square Garden and the Trojans were flying back home to Southern California.

Final Score: (1) Dayton 88, (9) USC 60

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The Tournament That Wasn’t – West Region Rounds 1 and 2, Part IV

Posted on April 1, 2020 by Chad

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 fourth and final of the four pods in the West Region.  2-seed San Diego State was looking to continue their amazing season with a run to the Sweet 16, but had to first get past Toledo and then had the winner of an intriguing Providence vs Indiana game waiting in the second round.  Who would get the spot in Los Angeles?  It is time to find out!

 

FIRST ROUND – WEST REGION – SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

(7) Providence vs (10) Indiana

The 2019-20 season was really a tale of two seasons for the Providence Friars.  During a 16-day span in mid-November, the Friars lost games to Northwestern, Penn, Long Beach State and College of Charleston.  Those losses seemed to doom the Friars to a long regular season without any hope of postseason play.  February and March were a completely different story, however, with wins over Seton Hall and Creighton at home and on the road at Villanova and Butler, among others, not only pushed the Friars back into the Tournament picture but eventually landed them with a solid single-digit seed.  With the 7-seed in hand, Providence’s first round opponent was the 10-seed Indiana Hoosiers.  Head coach Archie Miller’s team had a bumpy season of their own, and it took all the way until they knocked off Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament before IU fans were certain that a tournament bid was on its way.

The Friars jumped out early in this game, grabbing a quick 10-0 lead that had Hoosier fans ready to fire their head coach before halftime.  However, Indiana struck back and a Trayce Jackson-Davis with 2 seconds left pulled them within 2 at the break, 42-40.  Indiana kept the game close for the first 8 minutes of the second period, but the Friars then exploded on a 14-2 run and Indiana simply had no answer the rest of the way.  The Friars won by a final score of 82-72 led by 17 points from Luwane Pipkins and 11 rebounds from Alpha Diallo.  Indiana was heading home, while Providence moved on to the second round.

Final Score: (7) Providence 82, (10) Indiana 72

 

(2) San Diego State vs (15) Toledo

The San Diego State Aztecs were one of the top stories of the 2019-20 season.  The team went undefeated until tripped up by UNLV at home on February 22, and suffered only one other loss the rest of the way – by three points to Utah State in the Mountain West title game.  Although the Aztecs entered the NCAA Tournament as a 2-seed, they certainly had a profile that could have landed them on the 1 line if a few balls had bounced in other directions for the teams ranked above them.  Their road to a potential Final Four would begin in Sacramento with the 15-seed Mid-American Conference tournament champion Toledo Rockets.  Toledo had come out of 7th place to steal the MAC automatic bid and win one of the most upset-riddled conference tournaments we had seen in a very long time.

Toledo’s run through their conference tournament had been close to magical.  No such magic was in store in the NCAA Tournament, however, as the Aztecs jumped out to a big lead early and took a 17-point lead into the halftime break.  Although Toledo technically outscored San Diego State by a point in the second half, the Aztecs never had to really break much of a sweat during it.  Malachi Flynn led the way for SDSU with 19 points and 11 rebounds in the victory.  San Diego State was moving on and had a date with Providence set for the second round.

Final Score: (2) San Diego State 79, (15) Toledo 63

 

SECOND ROUND – WEST REGION – SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

(2) San Diego State vs (7) Providence

San Diego State may have cruised past Toledo in the first round, but the Providence Friars looked to be a much tougher opponent in the Round of 32.  The Aztecs , who now had 31 wins under their belts on the season, were certainly going to have to play at their peak level to advance to next weekend’s Sweet 16 in Los Angeles.  As for the Friars, their incredible second half turn around, going from a team that didn’t look even close to Tournament-worthy early in the year to a solid pick by the end of the day, could continue for at least one more game if they could do something that only two other teams had done all year – defeat the Aztecs.

San Diego State knew that Providence would give them a tough game, and that is exactly what they got.  The Friars and Aztecs fought back-and-forth the entire first half, with neither team opening a lead of more than 5 at any time, and Providence finding a way to slip to the break with a 40-37 lead.  Providence held onto the lead for the first 10 minutes of the second until a Matt Mitchell jumper tied the game and a Trey Pulliam shot put the Aztecs back in front.  San Diego State extended the lead to as many as 7 points and made their free throws down the stretch to hold on for an 84-80 victory and a trip to the Sweet 16.  Matt Mitchell led the Aztecs with 16 points while both Malachi Flynn and Jordan Schakel scored 15 apiece.

Final Score: (2) San Diego State 84, (7) Providence 80

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Champions Week: HoopsHD interviews Marshall Terrill about 1974 NCAA champ David Thompson

Posted on April 1, 2020 by Jon Teitel

In any other year early-April would be a time for reflecting on the Elite 8 and looking forward to the Final 4, but this year is not like any other year. Instead, we will spend the week reflecting on champions of the past, from a famous coach who won the 1947 NCAA title as a player to a Hall of Famer who led her team to a perfect 34-0 season in 1986. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our 8-part series with Marshall Terrill, co-author of “Skywalker: The Remarkable and Inspiring Story of Legendary Basketball Player David Thompson”, about David winning the 1974 NCAA title and scoring 73 PTS on the final day of the 1978 NBA regular season.

How did the book come about, and what was Thompson like as a person? My co-author Sean Stormes and I talked about doing a book project together after we became friendly with each other when I interviewed him for “Maravich,” a book I did on “Pistol” Pete Maravich with Wayne Federman. Thompson was a god back in our day but people now have lost sight of how good he actually was: we wanted the younger generation to get a better appreciation of him. We were surprised that he had never written an autobiography so we approached his agent with our idea for a book. After some back and forth with his agent we struck a deal.

How did you find David, and what kind of person is he? I found him to be a shy/quiet guy, which is completely the opposite of most star athletes. I was shocked at how unassuming he was. He certainly had a memory for details and gave us plenty of material while being brutally honest, which always makes for a great book. He has never been afraid to share that with people and many life lessons can be learned from his story. For many years David was down on himself about how he short-circuited his career but the best blessing is that he has forgiven himself. He is older/wiser and has now moved on to other things in his life so his story ends on a winning note.

Did you ever have a chance to visit his original home? Yes, it was a priority of mine and Sean’s, so one day during our taping sessions we took an hour-long drive from Charlotte to Boiling Springs (where David is from). We actually went inside David’s childhood home because it was abandoned. A neighbor pointed it out to us and we just let ourselves in! It was a ramshackle place (an old roadside café) and I could not believe that David and his 11 siblings were all raised there. To us that was the second biggest thrill next to meeting David in person. We also visited his high school and saw his jersey in a trophy case: we could not get over how small it was!

In 1973 he led NC State to a 27-0 record but the Wolfpack was banned from postseason play due to NCAA rule violations involving his recruitment: how was he viewed at the time? He was certainly viewed as a savior. If you look at the violations the words he used were “ticky-tack” and it was a set-up by an alumnus of UNC. I am not a conspiracy theorist but I think that it would not have happened had he not been such a dominant player. He said that the NCAA investigator was actually the roommate of an assistant coach at UNC! I do not think people held it against David at all because they would not have been such a great team without him.

In the 1973 World University Games gold medal game against the unbeaten host country Soviet Union, he had 24 PTS/10 REB for team USA in an 8-PT win en route to being named tourney MVP: how big a deal was it to beat the USSR in Moscow only 1 year after the infamous 1972 Olympic gold medal game? I think that it was a very big deal. I cannot recall if it was televised but Team USA was salivating at the chance for revenge. In hindsight it is funny to say the word “revenge” but you have to remember this was much bigger than just a basketball game: we are talking Cold War stuff here. Their only enemy back then was the USSR, especially after the US was robbed in the 1972 Olympics. David was asked to join the 1972 Olympic team but his knee was giving him problems and the coach would not guarantee him a starting spot, which is crazy if you think about it. Not only would David have been the most talented person on the floor, but people forget that he was a team player and the team came first before his personal accomplishments. The coach was Henry Iba, who played a very slow/methodical game: that was fine in previous decades but the sport was moving in a different direction where it was played faster and more freestyle. Incidentally, Iba was the same guy who discouraged Pete Maravich from playing on the 1968 Olympic squad. Now Iba has two gold medals as a coach but I think that he was personally wrong by 1972. The game had passed Iba by and David represented the future.

Take me through the magical 1974 NCAA postseason:
In the ACC tourney title game he scored 29 PTS in a 3-PT OT win over Maryland: why is that still considered one of the best college basketball games ever? You would have to compare it to a prizefight: each team was loaded with talent and they battled back and forth while giving it all they had. It was basketball at its best: you knew that you were watching something very special. The ratings were extremely high during an era when the NIT was the premier postseason tourney, but that game drew attention away from the NIT and made it special.

In the Final 4 in Greensboro he had 28 PTS/10 REB in a 3-PT 2-OT win over UCLA: how was he able to lead his team to a win over the 7-time-defending champs and 3-time national POY Bill Walton (who had 29 PTS/18 REB in 50 minutes) despite having 15 stitches in his head? The 84-66 loss to UCLA in December of 1973 in St. Louis really pumped them up for the rematch in March at the Final Four. The prior game was just created for TV and many of the NC State players were off that night. College basketball was not aired regionally back then so UCLA was always on national TV and everyone knew who they were. If a “David” wants to take on a “Goliath” then that is the game that you get pumped up for.

In the title game he scored 21 PTS/7-12 FG in a win over Marquette en route to being named tourney MOP: what did it mean to him to win a title, and what was the reaction like when they got back to campus? There is always elation when you win your 1st title but what was interesting was that David said the bus ride back from the coliseum to the motel was surprisingly calm and silent, as if they could not believe what they had just accomplished. They also ate dinner together that night, which was also subdued: they just wanted to relax and smell the roses. The following day there was a celebration for them and 10,000 people showed up at a planned event for the team. Of course they were elated they won the title but the real impact was felt the following season: Tommy Burleson left for the NBA so the 2 main stars were David/Monte Towe. It was a party atmosphere the rest of the year and David said he went from being a social drinker to an everyday drinker. As David so eloquently said in the book, “It is hard to stop drinking when you are constantly the toast of the town.” Also, when they lost such an offensive threat like Burleson it is natural that all of their opponents would focus their attention on David…and they did. They were still a good team (ranked in the top-10 nationally) and had a very respectable 22-6 record. They lost to a very talented UNC team, which included Phil Ford/Mitch Kupchak/Walter Davis/Tom LaGarde – all future pros.

David was a 2-time national POY in 1974/1975 and in 2003 he was named to the ACC 50th Anniversary men’s basketball team: where does he rank among the greatest players in college basketball history? I have to believe that he is in the top-5/top-10. You have legends like Wilt Chamberlain/Lew Alcindor/Pete Maravich/Bill Walton/Bill Russell…also Oscar Robertson as well as Jerry West. Those are some of the most essential players ever but David was just as impactful as they were in college.

In the summer of 1975 he was selected 1st overall by both Atlanta in the NBA draft and by Virginia in the ABA draft, and after getting traded to Denver he was named 1976 ABA ROY: why did he choose the ABA over the NBA, and how was he able to make such a smooth transition from college to the pros? The Hawks’ pick was part of the Maravich trade from Atlanta to New Orleans in 1974. There were 2 things at play: Denver was not an established basketball town (so he could make his mark there immediately), and the ABA was more suited to his style of play. David only got better as he got older: in high school he scored 18 PPG but continued to raise his average in college and then pro basketball. The interesting thing is that even though he was a rural kid he had an inner-city style that was welcomed by the ABA. David also based his decision on the fact that Julius Erving/Charlie Scott/George Gervin also played in the ABA and he did not think that 1 league was better than the other. I think he made a wise choice by going to the ABA: Atlanta was quite a mess after Maravich left and Denver greeted him like he was the Second Coming.

He helped invent the alley-oop during his college days (since dunking was outlawed at the time) and as a rookie with the Nuggets Brent Musburger nicknamed him “Skywalker” due to his 44” vertical leap: how much of his success was due to his athleticism? I think that almost 100% of his success was due to his athleticism. He could very well be the 1st athlete in professional basketball at that time to rely solely on his athleticism: his fundamentals were strong but his physical ability was amazing. The NBA itself transformed from fundamentals to athleticism. The alley-oop became necessary after the NCAA banned dunking from 1967-1976. I think that it was a racist rule created specifically for Lew Alcindor: think about how exciting the game is today with dunks! David/Monte created that play at NC State and people loved it. It truly put them on the map.

On the final day of the 1978 regular season he scored a career-high 73 PTS/28-38 FG in 43 minutes (including a then-NBA record 32 PTS in the 2nd quarter) for Denver in a 2-PT loss to Detroit: was it just 1 of those situations where every shot he put up seemed to go in because he was “in the zone”, and how disappointed was he to finish 2nd in the scoring race after San Antonio’s George Gervin scored 63 PTS later that day? It was definitely one of those nights: every great athlete will tell you that there are a couple of occasions where everything just falls into place. Basketball is a game of momentum/confidence: if you hit your first couple of shots then you feel like you might make your next 10 in a row. Everything was going in for David that day and he just went with the flow. I think that David was actually too pooped to be upset about it at the time but maybe he was later.  That was a very big sports day: I specifically remember it dominating the sports headlines.

A couple of weeks later he signed a 5-year/$4 million contract: how did he like becoming the highest-paid player in the history of team sports at the tender age of 23? David was glad to be compensated for his work but it also brought a pressure to him that he had never known before: his very 1st shot after he signed the contract was an airball! It was a double-edged sword: it was nice to be a millionaire but with that came unbelievable pressure to perform his best every night. The franchise was now on his shoulders.

He remains the only player ever to be named All-Star Game MVP in both the ABA (29 PTS/9-18 FG in 34 minutes in 1976) and NBA (25 PTS/11-17 FG in 34 minutes in 1979): how was he able to play his best against the best? He noted in the book that the sign of a great player is they always perform their best when competing against the best. He always got up for the opponents who would bring out the best in him.

He was out of pro basketball by age 29 due to a variety of injures/off-court problems, yet was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006: when people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? He was Michael Jordan’s idol, which is no small feat. His athleticism had an impact on the ABA so he along with people like Erving/Gervin deserves a lot of credit for the transformation of that particular league. He was 1 of the best college players ever and I believe 1 of many great ABA players who helped force the ABA-NBA merger. Part of his legacy is that he did not live up to his full potential…but I know for a fact that he has come to peace with that. He had 5 really great years in the NBA but probably could have had 10 great years if he remained injury-free and was a better steward of his health. He was one of the most exciting players ever to watch and there is still magic associated with his name for those who know the game.

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The Tournament That Wasn’t – West Region Rounds 1 and 2, Part III

Posted on April 1, 2020 by Chad

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 11th seeded Buccaneers booking their tickets for a trip to Los Angeles.

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

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The Tournament That Wasn’t – West Region Rounds 1 and 2, Part II

Posted on March 31, 2020 by Chad

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

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The Tournament That Wasn’t – West Region Rounds 1 and 2, Part I

Posted on March 31, 2020 by Chad

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

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