NCAA Tournament: First Round Recap/Second Round Preview – Saturday, March 17th

Posted on March 17, 2018 by John Stalica

For the following interviews from Jon Teitel:
-Grand Canyon Academic All-American Josh Braun – CLICK HERE
-Central Arkansas Academic All-American Jordan Howard – CLICK HERE

It happened. It finally did happen. We had teased on our preview podcast that a 16 would finally knock off a 1 seed, but we were looking in the wrong place. UMBC made history with their decisive 74-54 victory against top overall seed Virginia. What was even more remarkable about this game was the Retrievers’ 53-point HALF against the Hoos; there were a number of teams that couldn’t score 53 points in a GAME against Virginia all year. Jairus Lyles continues to become a folk hero after his 28-point performance last night. They will end up playing Kansas State in the 2nd round on Sunday night – the Wildcats were able to keep Creighton at bay and completely neutralized Marcus Foster en route to a 69-59 victory.

Earlier in the day, Texas A&M and Providence had a game that went back and forth for most of the way before TAMU ended up icing the game at the free-throw line. They will play a de facto road game against North Carolina – they did actually have a competitive game against Lipscomb in their opener before gradually pulling away with an 84-66 victory.

Xavier was thought to be the most vulnerable of the #1 seeds going into the tournament, and their opener saw them exchange 16-0 scoring spurts with Texas Southern. They did end up with a 19-point victory in a game that seemed to go on for about 3 hours. The Musketeers will play Florida State in Round 2 – the Seminoles raced out to a 22-point lead at halftime against Missouri. The Tigers did get the game as close as 8 points midway through the 2nd half, but FSU pulled away with a 67-54 win and will be looking for revenge against Xavier after getting blown out in Orlando in the 2nd round last March.

Cincinnati also was mired in a rock fight against Georgia State for the first 30 minutes of their game yesterday, but their size and athleticism was too much for the Panthers as UC finally pulled away with a 68-53 victory. They will play a Nevada team that trailed Texas for almost all of regulation, but did hit a free throw in the closing seconds of regulation and edged the Longhorns by 4 in a game that saw 34 combined points from both teams in the overtime period.

While Purdue did beat Cal State-Fullerton by a comfortable margin yesterday, the Boilers were devastated when they heard that C Isaac Haas fractured his elbow in yesterday’s game and will be out for the remainder of the season. They will take on Butler on Sunday in a rematch of the Crossroads Classic – the Bulldogs were able to knock out Arkansas yesterday with an easy 79-62 victory.

The nightcap saw Bucknell hang around with Michigan State for about a half before the Spartans gradually pulled out to as big as a 17-point lead in the 2nd half. A late flurry of 3s from the Bison made the score look a lot more respectable (82-78 MSU), however. Syracuse beat TCU in the nightcap – this meant that this would be the 8th straight year that at least one team that played in the First Four would also advance to at least the Round of 32.

We didn’t get to see Marshall and West Virginia play in the regular season this year, but this in-state rivalry will be renewed on Sunday after the Thundering Herd got their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory with an 81-75 upset win against Wichita State. Jon Elmore led the Herd with 27 points. West Virginia also had a fairly comfortable win against Murray State later in the afternoon to set the table for Sunday night’s matchup.

Auburn also survived an upset bid by Charleston later in the night – they will take on a Clemson team that beat New Mexico State in their tournament opener. This also meant that this would be a rare year where all 5 seeds advanced to the 2nd round (although 2 13 seeds did knock out a pair of 4s).

PITTSBURGH

(9) ALABAMA VS. (1) VILLANOVA (12:10 PM, CBS). While Villanova ended up being the only #1 seed to not be seriously challenged at any point in Round 1, Alabama rode the coattails of Collin Sexton to a comeback win against Virginia Tech on Thursday night. Today, Villanova comes face-to-face against what has become their annual demons in the Round of 32. The winner goes to the East Regional in Boston.

(7) RHODE ISLAND VS. (2) DUKE (approx. 2:40 PM, CBS). This game is actually a rematch from last season’s exempt tournament matchup where Duke beat URI at the Mohegan Sun during Thanksgiving weekend. There is much more at stake this time around – Duke had an easy opener against Iona and Rhode Island needed overtime to beat Oklahoma on Thursday afternoon. The winner of this game heads to Middle America (aka Omaha) for the Midwest Regional.

BOISE

(13) BUFFALO VS. (4) KENTUCKY (5:15 PM, CBS). The best games of the day may actually take place in Boise later this afternoon. Buffalo got a very decisive win against Arizona late on Thursday night that effectively knocked the Pac-12 completely out of the NCAA Tournament. Kentucky was able to survive an upset bid against Davidson and also went through the entire game without hitting a 3, amazingly enough. A Kentucky win will mean they could advance to “Cat-lanta” – or a Buffalo win could potentially mean a Sweet 16 game against either K-State or UMBC.

(5) OHIO STATE VS. (4) GONZAGA (approx. 7:45 PM, CBS). This is a rematch from the PK80 Tournament back in November when Gonzaga completely ran over Ohio State in the opener of that tournament in Portland. Ohio State had a mild scare against South Dakota State to get to this point; Gonzaga actually trailed UNC-Greensboro by 2 in the final minute before closing the game on a 6-0 run. Tonight’s winner will face either Xavier or Florida State in the West Regional.

DALLAS

(11) LOYOLA-CHICAGO VS. (3) TENNESSEE (6:10 PM, TNT). The Ramblers scored the first upset of the tournament after beating Miami with a 3-pointer in the closing seconds on Thursday afternoon. It was their first win in the NCAA Tournament since 1985 (which also happened to be their last trip to the Sweet 16). Tennessee started cold against Wright State, but ended up winning fairly comfortably in their own right. The winner will face either Cincinnati or Nevada in the South Region.

(6) FLORIDA VS. (3) TEXAS TECH (approx. 8:40 PM, TNT). While the Gators were taking on a jet-lagged St. Bonaventure team on Thursday night and winning by a comfortable margin, the Red Raiders had a tougher test against in-state foe Stephen F. Austin before ultimately coming back and pulling away in the final 4 minutes of their opener. The winner in this game goes to the East Region in Boston.

WICHITA

(8) SETON HALL VS. (1) KANSAS (7:10 PM, TBS). While Kansas did find themselves in a 10-point hole against Penn in their opener on Thursday afternoon, the Jayhawks woke up and eventually took a 7-point lead at halftime before beating the Quakers. Seton Hall also led throughout their game against NC State, and have shown their ability against other #1 seeds (Villanova and Xavier) to at least contend for 40 minutes. Winning in a de facto road environment will be a completely different animal – whoever advances will end up in the Midwest Region in Omaha.

(6) HOUSTON VS. (3) MICHIGAN (approx. 9:40 PM, TBS). Rob Gray almost single-handedly willed the Cougars to their first NCAA Tournament win since the Phi Slamma Jamma era – their next challenge will be against a Michigan team that has looked red-hot since the Big 10 Tournament began. They were rarely challenged against Montana, and the winner of today’s final game will go to the West Region against either North Carolina or Texas A&M.

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Under The Radar Postseason News, Notes and Highlighted Games – Saturday, March 17th

Posted on March 17, 2018 by John Stalica

Only one game was played last night below the radar – Central Michigan ended up beating Wofford 98-94 in the second round of the CIT. David DeLeo led the Chippewas with 22 points, and Kevin McKay had 21 for Central Michigan as well. Fletcher Magee also had a heroic effort for the Terriers with 37 points, but it was not meant to be for Wofford last night. CMU’s next opponent will be determined upon completion of other games in the 2nd round.

NCAA – DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIP

-NEBRASKA WESLEYAN VS. WISCONSIN-OSHKOSH (6:00 PM, CBS Sports Network). As requested by our season-long UTR guru Chad Sherwood, tonight will be the first NCAA Championship that will be decided in Salem, Virginia. Even more remarkable is that neither team played a game at home in the NCAA Tournament (where there are host sites selected by the top 16 teams in the first 2 rounds and the highest remaining seeds in the regionals).

NIT

(4) PENN STATE AT (1) NOTRE DAME (12:00 PM, ESPN). We get a rarity in that both the men’s and women’s teams for Notre Dame will play at home on St. Patrick’s Day, but that is what will happen while the women’s team is hosting a subregional in the NCAA Tournament and Notre Dame attempts to follow up their home win against Hampton with a noontime matinee against Penn State. The Nittany Lions are coming off of a home win against in-state foe Temple back on Wednesday.

CIT

-PORTLAND STATE AT SAN DIEGO (10:00 PM, CBS Digital Network). While Portland State was one of 4 teams that were added late to the tournament, San Diego is coming off of a home win on Monday night against Hartford in the 1st round in the Riley Wallace Classic.

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Basketball and brains: HoopsHD interviews Grand Canyon Academic All-American Joshua Braun

Posted on March 16, 2018 by Jon Teitel

Grand Canyon had won 5 games in a row entering the WAC tourney title game last Saturday before losing 72-58 to New Mexico State.  The Lopes’ 22-win season was rewarded with a trip to the CBI but they came up just short in a 5-PT home loss to Mercer on Wednesday night. However, there are still accomplishments to cheer for as SR SG Joshua Braun was named an Academic All-American earlier this week for the 3rd year in a row. On the court Joshua completed his college career by averaging 14 PPG/81.3 FT%: off the court he averaged a 3.60 GPA while getting his MBA. Earlier this week HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Joshua about choosing business school and where he thinks the program will be in the decades to come.

You play for Coach Dan Majerle: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? His competitiveness and understanding of the game is what makes him a good coach. One of the most important things I have learned from Coach Majerle is that you can never stop working and let up.

You led the team in PTS as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I think God provided an awesome opportunity for me from the start and I was able to gain some confidence early on in my career.

In the 2015 CIT you scored 11 PTS in a 5-PT loss to NAU: how did it feel to have a big-time postseason game in Arizona not involving the Sun Devils/Wildcats?! To be honest it was not the best feeling because we were unable to pull out the win.

This season Casey Benson transferred in after playing for Oregon in the Final 4 last year: how have you enjoyed having your childhood friend as a teammate? It was great being reunited with Casey! It was awesome being able to start my basketball career with him at a young age and now we have ended up finishing our college careers together!

In January of 2016 you scored a career-high 34 PTS/7-9 3PM in a win over Utah Valley: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? Definitely! You love those games when the rim looks 5 times wider than normal and you have the confidence to shoot from anywhere.

You played a pair of NCAA tourney teams this year in NC Central/New Mexico State: which of these teams impressed you the most? NMSU impressed me the most: they are a good team. They put pressure on you on the defensive end to make mistakes and they really push the ball up the floor on offense.

Earlier this week you were named an Academic All-American for the 3rd straight year: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? The biggest thing has always been time management when balancing basketball and academics. It is easy to fall behind or be unprepared for classes when I do not balance my time like I should.

You have a 3.60 GPA while getting your MBA: why did you choose business school, and what do you hope to do with all of your degrees? I chose business school because I believe it gives me a lot of options/opportunities for career paths. Honestly, I am unsure what I would like to do with my degree yet! I am sure there might be some trial and error when it comes to trying new job opportunities/careers but I am confident that I will eventually find the right career for me.

Your father David played college soccer and your mother Kathy played college volleyball: who is the best athlete in the family? Tough question: I am sure I could answer more confidently if I had the chance to watch them play back in college!! My brother Justin is quite the athlete as well.

You were Coach Majerle’s very 1st recruit and are the only player who has been part of the GCU program for all 5 of its years at the D-1 level: what is going through your mind as your college career comes to a close, and what do you envision the Lopes program looking like 10-20 years down the road? I am so thankful for the opportunity to play for GCU. I know Grand Canyon will only continue to grow and become a major power in college basketball. 10-20 years from now I hope to see GCU looking like a Gonzaga and being a consistent top-25 program from year to year.

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Basketball and brains: HoopsHD interviews Central Arkansas Academic All-American Jordan Howard

Posted on March 16, 2018 by Jon Teitel

Last week Central Arkansas lost 86-64 to Stephen F. Austin in the Southland tourney but their season has not yet come to a close. After being named an Academic All-American earlier this week, SR G Jordan Howard kept it rolling on Wednesday with 30 PTS in a 2-PT OT win at Seattle in the CBI, and the reward is that the Bears will host Jackson State in the CBI quarterfinals on Monday night. On the court Jordan is averaging 25.4 PPG: off the court he averaged a 3.71 GPA while getting his degree in digital filmmaking last December. Earlier this week HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Jordan about being named Southland POY and how his parents follow him and his brother Markus when they have postseason games on the same evening.

You play for Coach Russ Pennell: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? Coach Russ has such a great basketball mind. He loves the game and loves his players even more. He is a players’ coach so he understands how to deal with each position and puts guys in positions to be successful. The most important thing I have learned from Coach is how to constantly adapt to each way that a team defends me.  Over the years he has really etched into my game the decision to be patient and let the game come to me.

You are 5’11”: do you consider your size to be an advantage or disadvantage on the court? The disadvantages are pretty obvious: I do not have the luxury of being tall, being able to see over the defense, or being able to play above the rim.  However, what I have learned is that since nothing was given to me I have to make the most of every opportunity and having that chip on my shoulder always motivates me.

In 2015 you were named conference ROY: how were you able to make such a smooth transition from high school to college? Coming out of high school all I needed was the opportunity. I was not highly recruited so when Coach Russ gave me the opportunity to come and play for him immediately, I worked extremely hard and was blessed enough to come in and perform well enough to win Freshman of the Year.

Last week you were named 2018 conference POY: what did it mean to you to win such an outstanding honor? This is a special award that I was truly thankful for due to everything we went through as a team since my freshman year.  We were not winning very much in the past but now we are 1 of the better teams in our conference: it is just a huge testament to our great coaches/players. For me to be a catalyst in reviving this program, and now being recognized as the player of the year, is just such an honor and really special.

In 2017 you were named 3rd-team Academic All-American and earlier today you were named 2nd-team Academic All-American: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? To be named an Academic All-American is one of my most important achievements because my parents have always preached that being more than a basketball player is very important. It is tough to balance everything at once but I always make sure that I am focused/organized and (most importantly) emphasizing time management. Sorting out periods throughout the week to organize time for your work is really important if you want to stay on top of your studies: managing that time was a huge part of my academic success.

You graduated in December with a 3.71 GPA and a degree in digital filmmaking: how did you pick your major, and what do you hope to do with your degree? I have always loved filmmaking since I was a young kid. It has always peaked my interest and I have always been a pretty creative individual so when I realized that it was one of my passions and I could go to school for it I jumped on it immediately. Eventually I would love to get into the cinematic side of sports and telling stories/documentaries like “30 for 30”. I would also love to work with sports companies like Nike and do projects with them in the future.

The past 2 seasons you led the conference in 3P%/FT% and this year you finished 3rd in the nation with 25.3 PPG: what is the key to being a great shooter/scorer? Consistency…and more consistency! It has become like a ritual for me to continue to work on my craft. I am constantly working at it and never becoming satisfied with anything that I have done in the past. I just love this game and am very passionate about being successful in it, so I work as hard as I can to become the best that I can be. I have great people around me as well that care enough to help me along the way so I am blessed to be in a great situation.

You played a pair of NCAA tourney teams earlier this year in UCLA/Stephen F. Austin: which of them impressed you the most? They are both great teams but since I always see SFA every year I would say them: they are always consistent and have been really impressive. They are just a really solid team that has the potential to beat anyone on any given night.

Your father Chuck played football at Indiana, your brother Desmond played basketball at Phoenix College, and your brother Markus led the nation with 54.7 3P% last year at Marquette: who is the best athlete in the family? I have to go with the man in charge: our dad! He is the man as well as the best father an athlete could ask for. We are so blessed to have a man like him in our life to guide us in athletics, but more importantly in life. He and my mother Noemi have given us every resource possible to be successful and are the best support system we could ask for.

On Wednesday night you scored 30 PTS in a 2-PT OT win at Seattle in the CBI while Markus scored 22 PTS in a 7-PT win over Harvard in the NIT: how will your parents keep dealing with such logistical nightmares if you 2 keep winning?! I guess they will have to bring another TV into the living room!

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NCAA Tournament: First Round Review and Preview – Friday, March 16th

Posted on March 16, 2018 by John Stalica

There were not too many surprises overall in terms of seed line upsets, but nonetheless the tournament did start off with a bang thanks to a buzzer-beater by Loyola against Chicago in the afternoon set of games. The Ramblers will play a Tennessee team that had little difficulty in beating Wright State.

Gonzaga also had to sweat out a comeback bid by UNC-Greensboro and were actually down a bucket with a minute to play, but after a made bucket and a 3-point shot that put the Zags up for good, they were finally able to put the Spartans away with stifling defense in the final minute. Gonzaga will play Ohio State – the Buckeyes did withstand a great performance from SDSU’s Mike Daum.

Kansas took a while to warm up against Penn – they were actually down 21-11 midway through the first half against the Quakers before eventually going on a 17-point swing to take a 7-point lead at halftime and gradually put away Penn in the 2nd half. They will play Seton Hall – the Pirates led for virtually the entire game and won their first NCAA Tournament game in 14 years.

The games actually tipped off with a nice game between Oklahoma and Rhode Island – they ended up going to overtime before Rhody ultimately pulled away for an 83-78 victory. They will play a Duke team that had no difficulty beating Iona in their opener.

In the evening session, Kentucky failed to hit a 3-pointer for the entire game (for the first time since the late 1980s), but nonetheless held off Davidson in a game that was uncomfortably close for much of the 2nd half. They will play a Buffalo team that had a surprisingly easy blowout win in the nightcap against Arizona. That loss completely knocks the Pac-12 out of the NCAA Tournament picture this year.

Villanova demolished Radford in their opener in Pittsburgh and will play Alabama in Round 2. Collin Sexton had 21 of his 24 points in the 2nd half to lead the Crimson Tide over Virginia Tech despite trailing at halftime.

Houston looked like they might breeze past San Diego State in their opener, but the Aztecs hung around and were able to tie the game in the final minute. Unfortunately for SDSU, Rob Gray drove down the lane for a game-winning layup with a second to play to give Houston the lead for good. The Aztecs did actually get a decent look at a 3 on the ensuing inbound pass, but their shot went wide and Houston won their first NCAA Tournament game since 1984. They will play Michigan on Saturday – the Wolverines also beat Montana fairly comfortably.

SFA also looked like they might be a giant killer again after leading Texas Tech for a good portion of their game, but the Red Raiders clamped down defensively and won by a deceptive 70-60 score in their opener. Florida ended up pulling away from St. Bonaventure in the 2nd half and beat the Bonnies by 15 points in the nightcap.

CHARLOTTE

(10) PROVIDENCE VS. (7) TEXAS A&M (12:15 PM, CBS) – The Friars come into this game hot off of a pair of overtime wins in the Big East Tournament, including a win over Xavier and an overtime loss to Providence in the Big East Championship. A&M was one and done after a buzzer-beater loss in their SEC Tournament opener against Alabama. Little fun fact – former President George H.W. Bush is going homer in his NCAA Tournament bracket and going with TAMU to win the whole thing.

(15) LIPSCOMB VS. (2) NORTH CAROLINA (approx. 2:45 PM, CBS) – The Bison are making their NCAA D-I Tournament debut after winning a thrilling Atlantic Sun championship game at Florida Gulf Coast. They nearly blew a 35-point lead in the process, but nonetheless find themselves in Charlotte today against a North Carolina team that is almost always a sure bet to win their first round tournament game. Carolina ultimately lost out on the #1 seed in the West region to Xavier, but the Tar Heels are favored by most brackets to actually win the West.

(9) KANSAS STATE VS. (8) CREIGHTON (6:50 PM, TNT) – One-time KSU player Marcus Foster will be one storyline to follow in tonight’s opener at Charlotte; both teams have quietly put together solid but not spectacular seasons in their respective conferences. The Bluejays are coming off consecutive losses to Marquette and an OT loss to Providence; but K-State did manage one win against TCU in the Big 12 Tournament before falling to Kansas in the semifinals.

(16) MARYLAND-BALTIMORE COUNTY VS. (1) VIRGNIA (approx. 9:20 PM, TNT) – UMBC hit a game-winning 3-pointer to end a 23-game losing streak against Vermont and win the America East title; even with Virginia down an injured player, they are fresh off a double in the ACC regular season/conference tournament and are still favorites in many eyes to win the NCAA Tournament this season.

DETROIT

(15) CAL STATE-FULLERTON VS. (2) PURDUE (12:40 PM, TruTV) – The Titans won the Big West title with wins over UC-Davis and UC-Irvine in the process. Purdue lost in the Big 10 title game to Michigan, but in a rare twist of fate have had more time to rest for the NCAAs than Fullerton due to the timing of both conference tournaments.

(10) BUTLER VS. (7) ARKANSAS (approx. 3:10 PM, TruTV) – Butler had a couple of keystone wins earlier in the season with a win at home against Villanova and a win against Ohio State in the PK80 Invitational back in November. Arkansas has more of a recency factor with a home win against Auburn and against Florida in the SEC Tournament (as well as a win against Tennessee back in January).

(14) BUCKNELL VS. (3) MICHIGAN STATE (7:10 PM, CBS) – Bucknell does have a history of pulling a couple of 1st-round NCAA Tournament upsets (ask Kansas and Memphis), but are going to be at a big homecourt disadvantage against Michigan State, however.

(11) SYRACUSE VS. (6) TCU (approx. 9:40 PM, CBS) – History is on Syracuse’s side in one respect – ever since the Field of 68 began in 2011, at least one First Four team has won in the Round of 64. With St. Bonaventure losing last night, it falls upon Syracuse to keep this streak intact. TCU will be making their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 20 seasons – that team ultimately fell victim to a Valparaiso team that was the Cinderella of the Ball that year.

SAN DIEGO

(13) MARSHALL VS. (4) WICHITA STATE (1:30 PM, TNT) – This game will be a battle of contrasting styles – Wichita has one of the nation’s best defensive teams, and Marshall is one of the more explosive teams in the country from an offensive standpoint. It may be a quiet crowd early on given the local 10:30 AM tip, but will warm up quickly the longer Marshall is competitive in this one.

(12) MURRAY STATE VS. (5) WEST VIRGINIA (approx. 4:00 PM, TNT) – West Virginia will be matched up for a potential upset special in Round 1 for the 2nd year in a row. On the other side, it seems like we haven’t mentioned Murray State for a while this time of year (at least since Steve Prohm was head coach for the Racers).

(13) CHARLESTON VS. (4) AUBURN (7:27 PM, TruTV) – Injuries have taken quite a bit of wind out of the sails of Auburn – while the Tigers did win a share of the SEC regular-season title, they have lost 4 out of their last 6 games. Charleston themselves has come in on a hot streak after winning the championship in the Colonial, but they had to come back against Northeastern after trailing for almost all of regulation before taking the lead for good in overtime of that game.

(12) NEW MEXICO STATE VS. (5) CLEMSON (approx. 9:57 PM, TruTV) – There is certainly a good chance we could see a 12 v. 13 matchup in Round 2 – NMSU is the more experienced of these two teams if you go by NCAA Tournament experience. Clemson themselves has also had to navigate injury issues for the second half of ACC play, but did they have a respectable showing in the ACC Tournament with a win against Boston College before losing to Virginia in the semifinal round.

NASHVILLE

(15) GEORGIA STATE VS. (2) CINCINNATI (2:00 PM, TBS) – While historical trends suggest this matchup has all the makings of an upset alert, there appears to be very little chance that Cincinnati and their stifling defense will be challenged today.

(10) TEXAS VS. (7) NEVADA (approx. 4:30 PM, TBS) – Nevada looked more dominant in Mountain West play from early January to mid-February, but still appear to be a team that can match up with the Havoc style of pressure that we’re accustomed to seeing from Shaka Smart’s teams at VCU and Texas.

(16) TEXAS SOUTHERN VS. (1) XAVIER (7:20 PM, TBS) – This is the first season Xavier has ever earned a #1 seed – this was mainly by virtue of winning the Big East regular-season title by a full game over Villanova. Texas Southern didn’t win a single non-conference game until their win over NC Central in the First Four, but they won very easily against the Eagles on Wednesday night. Still, the Tigers could make this interesting for a while.

(9) FLORIDA STATE VS. (8) MISSOURI (approx. 9:50 PM, TBS) – Even without Michael Porter for most of the season, Missouri was a pleasant surprise in the SEC this year after a disastrous run under Kim Anderson. They might have some matchup problems against one of the country’s tallest teams in Florida State, but this would appear to be another close 8/9 matchup.

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Under The Radar Update and Coaching News Update – Friday, March 16th

Posted on March 16, 2018 by John Stalica

While most of the country was focused on the NCAA Tournament yesterday, we did finally see Georgia fill their head coaching vacancy. Tom Crean will formally be announced as their new head coach later this afternoon. Kermit Davis was also formally named head coach at Ole Miss, although he will finish out his season at Middle Tennessee as the Blue Raiders are still alive in the NIT.

There was one game played in the CIT last night – Austin Peay defeated Louisiana-Monroe 80-66 in the John McLendon Classic to advance to the quarterfinals to the CIT next week. Averyl Ugba led the Governors with 27 points; Terry Taylor also had a double-double with 11 points and 15 rebounds. Austin Peay is now 4-0 all-time at home in postseason play.

CIT (2nd Round)

-CENTRAL MICHIGAN AT WOFFORD (7:00 PM, CBS Digital Network) – The Terriers were a late entry into the CIT field, but are nonetheless worthy of inclusion considering their hot finish in the SoCon and notable win at North Carolina back in December. Central Michigan already has a win in the CIT under their belts thanks to a 5-point win at Fort Wayne back on Monday.

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