My NCAA Tournament Experience

On March 22, I made the pilgrimage from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Charlotte, North Carolina, to watch the third round of the NCAA Tournament. The games featured two Final Four teams: Game 1 was Michigan State vs. Virginia, and Game 2 was Duke vs. San Diego State. The first game was, well, exciting. MSU point guard Travis Trice exploded for 13 points in the first five minutes of the game, giving the Spartans a lead that the Virginia Cavaliers could not overcome. Trice ended the game with 23 points. The Cavaliers had their opportunities, but they could not throw a rock in the ocean. MSU could have left the building winning by 20, but they missed a ton of free throws, keeping the game close.

In Game 2, Duke had control and never lost. Justise Winslow finished the game in the first half with a monster block that led to a Quinn Cook transition three-pointer right in front of the SDSU section of the arena. Cook celebrated the three and SDSU never had a chance again. During halftime of the game, Michigan State players came out of their locker rooms and sat in the stands, and I was able to have a little talk with Spartan guard Denzel Valentine. He told me he felt all the momentum was on their side, and it was. This was the first time I had seen two Final Four teams live in action.

March Madness Is Insane: First Full Day Review

This article will likely be published after the second day tips off, but that shouldn't have anything to do with the amazing day of we experienced yesterday. I have a few things to say about it below.

UAB Earned Their Bracket Smasher License With Help From Georges Niang

I, as one, had the Iowa State Cyclones going far. I had faith in Fred Hoiberg's team, led by sophomore point guard Monte Morris. I also had one negative on the Cyclones: Georges Niang. The so-called "star" never adjusted to being the first option after Deandre Kane and Melvin Ejim left year, but thats what he was left as. Niang single-handedly lost the game for the Cyclones yesterday, shooting 4-of-15 and having way too many turnovers. UAB was able to capitalize on Niang's mistakes, and because of that, they came away with the victory

R.J. Hunter or Jimmer Fredette?

R.J.Hunter of Georgia State NAILS this incredibly deep three to give Georgia State the lead over Baylor, and they pulled out the win. Hunter's deep three was reminiscent of former BYU star Jimmer Fredette and his range.

Who the Heck Is He? (Georgetown Edition)
In a surprisingly high-scoring college basketball game, Georgetown beat Eastern Washington 84-74. D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera had 25 points and 8 rebounds: no surprise there. The surprise was one guy off of the bench by the name of Bradley Hayes. Hayes had scored 8 points all season long before this game: he ended the game with 8 points. As a matter of fact, he had only attempted 8 field goals all year long. The Hoya bigs got in foul trouble, but luckily, Bradley Hayes was there to save the day.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Gets Triple-Double, Sets Record

I am a big fan of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. I think he is one of college basketball's best players. Plus, Hollis-Jefferson has style. Whenever he steps to the free-throw line, he does a little shoulder-shimmy. He attempted 10 free-throws, and that resulted in 10 shimmies for Hollis-Jefferson as Arizona blew Texas Southern out of the water. This is only triple-double ever to include shimmies, setting a record.

Physicality: Called or Not?
In the Cincinnati-Purdue game, Cincinnati star Octavius Ellis was ejected for throwing a forearm at Purdue's A.J. Hammons. and he will miss the Bearcats game against Kentucky tomorrow. Georgetown guard Jabril Trawick bumped and knocked Eastern Washington's Tyler Harvey to the ground after a travel and didn't even help him up, but there was no foul on the play. I agreed with the last call, and I was glad to see a glimpse of old Georgetown in this new Georgetown team, but the calls have to be more consistent throughout the tournament.

Brand Article: Are Under Armour Teams the Tournament Sleepers?

I found myself looking at this year's NCAA Tournament bracket, and I noticed a little trend. The four teams that wear Under Armour have a very good chance to make an impact on the tournament. Those teams are 3 seed Notre Dame, 4 seed Maryland, 5 seed Utah, and 9 seed St. John's. I will talk a little about the teams that wear this amazing brand and what they can do in the tournament. 

Notre Dame: 3 seed, Midwest Region

In all honesty, I have Notre Dame reaching the championship game. They are hot off an ACC Championship, and they will continue their hot streak. Led by super-scorer Jerian Grant, the Fighting Irish have many players that can put the ball in the basket. Grant, Pat Connaughton, Demetrius Jackson, Zach Auguste, V.J. Beachem, and Bonzie Colson can all fill it up. These guys have enough firepower to take down Kentucky, who is the one seed in the Midwest. 

Maryland: 4 seed, Midwest Region

The Terrapins played surprisingly well this year, better than anyone predicted them to. Led by senior Dez Wells (44)  and freshman stud Melo Trimble (2) , Maryland had an incredible season, in which they knocked off Wisconsin. Jake Layman (10) also averages double figures for the Terps. They will most likely meet Kentucky in the Sweet 16, where they will need to have big games from the Big Three to win.

Utah: 5 seed, South Region

Two words about why this team is so good: Delon Wright. Wright is one of the best players in the nation. He could go for a triple-double on any given night. With a supporting cast of Jakob Poetl and Brandon Taylor, the Utes are a very strong team. They have it tough and they will have to face some really good teams along the way, but if Wright is on his game, Utah can beat anybody. 

St. John's: 9 seed, South Region

St. John's has really underperformed the past few years, because they have a boatload of studs on their roster. They are without Chris Obepka, but listen to who else they have. D'Angelo Harrison, Rysheed Jordan, Sir'Dominic Pointer, and Phil Greene IV all average double figures. If the Red Storm can catch fire, they have enough gunners to beat anyone in the country from beyond the arc. The Johnnies, along with anyone else on this list, could make a Final Four run.