Duke Visibly Upset

The latter part of Thursday’s NCAA Tournament provided much more excitement than the morning games.  In the most thrilling upset of the first day of March Madness, the #11 seeded Virginia Commonwealth Rams defeated the # 6 Duke Blue Devils 79-77.  Duke had several chances to put the game away for good, but allowed the Rams to come back each time. 
 

Eric Maynor, VCU’s leading scorer with 22 points, scored six in the final 1:22, including a game-winning 15-foot jumper with 1.8 seconds left in regulation.
 

The Blue Devils had one last chance to tie or win, but needed to inbound the ball from their baseline with less than 2 seconds on the clock. CBS coverage made sure to show plenty of crowd shots of Christian Laettner before the inbound, harkening back to his most famous moment with Duke back in ‘92. 
 

A three point attempt from near half court range bounced off the side of the backboard, breaking the Blue Devils streak of 10 straight first round NCAA Tournament wins.
 

For lovers of upsets and haters of Duke basketball, this was a glorious day.  There are plenty more upsets to come this tourney, so if you want great seats for all of the college basketball action, check out StubHub.com for NCAA Tournament tickets in a regional venue near you.
 

Permalink - Posted in General on March 16, 2007 - Post a comment

March Madness Begins, Upsets Await

Although many people predicted that Butler was weak headed into the NCAA Tournament, the Bulldogs pulled off a win against their first round opponent.  Behind leading scorer A.J. Graves, Butler pulled away from Old Dominion midway through the second half.
 

Butler will advance to the second round where they will face the No. 4 seed Maryland Terrapins.  The Bulldogs will have only a short while to celebrate their victory.  They prepare to meet the Terrapins, who beat Davidson 82-70 today, after only one day of rest.
 

The morning action of the opening round on Thursday lacked any upsets, and none of the games were particularly close in the final minutes.  Many sports critics have claimed that the regular season lacked drama and intrigue, and were hoping that the Tournament would make up for it.  So far, it has been disappointing.
 

As the Tourney begins, there are still great NCAA Tournament tickets to get at StubHub.com.  This year’s March Madness action has nowhere to go but excitement!


 

Permalink - Posted in General on March 15, 2007 - Post a comment

Cardinals too much for Cardinal

Those of you who pick their opening round NCAA Tournament bracket winners strictly by the numbers got another point this morning as No. 6 Louisville led wire to wire against the No. 11 Stanford Cardinal today at Rupp Arena.
 

Louisville used a smothering full-court press to stifle the Cardinal offence and force over 21 turnovers in the game.  The Cardinals enjoyed a crowd that was close to home, while Stanford was forced to travel over 2,400 miles from Palo Alto to play in a morning game… and during Daylight Savings Time no less!
 

Louisville head coach Rick Patino coached Kansas, who play their home games at Rupp Arena, to an NCAA national championship 11 years ago. Today was the first time Patino hadn’t felt like “Darth Vader” entering the gym in a long time.
 

If you’d like to see the Cardinals in the second round, or any other great tourney game, StubHub.com has some great NCAA Tournament tickets you might want to check out.    


 

Permalink - Posted in General on March 15, 2007 - Post a comment

Wanna See my Tourney Bracket?

The field of 64 is finally set for the 2007 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, and hoops fans everywhere are looking up one paragraph blurbs on ESPN to have something to say around the office water cooler.
 

Now that everybody’s “Florida A&M-has the-look-of-an-Elite-Eight- team” bracket is sitting on the top of the waste basket, we can all get down to really thinking about some good upsets.  Here are a few that I like:
 

#12 Old Dominion over #5 Butler.  Practically every sports analyst on ESPN, Fox, and CBS thinks that Butler got a way better seed than they deserve, and ODU wasn’t given enough credit.  Since one should never try to think for one’s self, and the only safe things to say when it comes to politics, religion, and sports are those things that are ok’d by national news media conglomerates, this looks like an awesome pick!  Go Monarchs!
 

#11 VCU over #6 Duke.  Don’t you just hate Duke?  Me too. Brackets aren’t about logic, you know. They are about investing money into your emotions.  If you have a team you despise, take your revenge now by crossing their name out in the first round, and then justifying it later.
 

#16 Jackson St. over #1 Florida.  A Sixteen over a one seed has never happened in NCAA Tournament history.  Thus, it’s due.
 

If you live nearby a regional tourney site, check out StubHub.com for some great first round action. NCAA Tournament tickets will get you into one of the most upsetting times of the year.  


 

Permalink - Posted in General on March 14, 2007 - Post a comment

Play-In Game Plays in Dayton

The Niagara Purple Eagles will face the Florida A&M Rattlers tonight in the odd but loveable “play-in game” in Dayton, Ohio.  This match up will be the official start of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, and will determine the team that plays the Western Region’s No. 1 seed Kansas Jayhawks. 
 

The Drive to 65 will be over by tonight, and then the tourney will be down to 64 teams, a good, even number that will be required for a tournament like this to operate fairly and properly. 
 

Due to some complicated conference set-up, the NCAA Tournament includes 65 official teams.  Niagara and Florida A&M are both listed as the # 16 in the West, and each will officially be credited with an NCAA Tournament appearance.    
 

The Kansas Jayhawks will probably be hoping the Rattlers upset the Purple Eagles.  Niagara is the favorite to win by a healthy margin, and many players in the Niagara program felt that a #16 seed was below them. 
 

Of course, they also felt that not pulling a fellow Niagara University baseball player out of his car and jumping him was below them, because actually, most of the players on Niagara did do that very thing earlier this season. And that’s why they’re a #16 seed, though their players should have been suspended and their season should have been over by now.
 

It’s probably too late to get NCAA Tournament tickets to the play-in game, but if you want great seats to any other tourney game, check out StubHub.com.       

Permalink - Posted in General on March 13, 2007 - Post a comment

Fresh Meat for the NCAA Tourney Grinder

Pat Forde of ESPN.com believes that freshen will have a big impact on the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.  Several of the tourney’s top teams will place their future in the Dance on the shoulders of college hoops rookies. 
 

Not that that’s particularly a bad thing.  The general consensus around the sporting world is that this year’s class of freshmen is one of the best in recent memory.
 

The two frosh receiving the most coverage all year, by both the college hoops world and the lottery-bound NBA teams, have been Kevin Durant and Greg Oden, the backbones of Texas and Ohio State, respectively.  Both the Longhorns and the Buckeyes will depend on freshmen and sophomores to carry the load of minutes and points if they are to advance.  
 

The Number 1 seeded Tar Heels will feature an army of freshmen starters and bench producers, including Brandon Wright, Wayne Ellington, and Ty Lawson. Plus UNC’s star big man, Tyler Hansbrough, is only a sophomore.    
 

Typically, teams are made stronger by the presence of senior leadership, but that appears to be at a premium this year.  Kansas, Duke, Notre Dame, Louisville, Arizona, and Davidson all will need their greenhorns to step up if they hope to prevail in the tourney.  
 

Savvy veterans of StubHub.com will be mature enough to know that the best NCAA Tournament tickets are just a few clicks away.

Permalink - Posted in General on March 13, 2007 - Post a comment

Don’t Bet on the NCAA Bracket, Upright Citizens

As everybody knows, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament supplies tons of thrilling buzzer-beaters, multiple overtime barn-burners, epic hardwood battles, and, of course, plenty of fodder for un-fun and highly unlawful gaming. 
 

Why ruin one of the greatest sports events of the year by recklessly and carelessly wagering five dollars in a lawless office bracket pool?  The integrity of college athletics is on the line.  
 

It sure would be sweet to win a bunch of money and impress your coworkers, who all certainly place a high value on college hoops knowledge.  With a few choice picks and a little luck, you could be the star of the company- the bell of the Dance, as it were- but as you know, it is very much illegal. And no fun at all.   
 

Sure, gloating about your sports prowess is enjoyment to some.  And sure, you could use that extra cold, hard $250 cash.  But you’re a good, citizen, aren’t you?  
 

Good. Now though gambling on the NCAA Tournament for money is illegal and StubHub.com would never condone such a thing, nobody says you can’t bet that a couple NCAA Tournament tickets won’t net you a huge wad of excitement.   

Permalink - Posted in General on March 12, 2007 - Post a comment

UCLA Falls in Pac 10 Tourney

No. 3 ranked UCLA fell to Cal yesterday in the Pac 10 Tournament quarterfinals.  The Bears knocked off the Bruins 76-69 in overtime at the Staples Center.
 

The game, which was a rematch of the conference championship game one year ago, was a struggle for the Bruins.  Down by as much as 15 in the first half, UCLA fought back and switched leads with Cal for most of the second half. 
 

Overtime was all Bears, though.  Cal, and their senior guard Ayinde Ubaka, dominated the extra five minutes by a score of 15-8.  UCLA could not depend on the home court advantage they clearly had during a game played just minutes from their campus. 
 

UCLA Coach Ben Howland was frustrated with his team’s performance.  Said Howland, “If we don’t play better than we’re playing right now, anyone in the field of 64 teams will beat us.”
 

The loss may kick the Bruins out of a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament.  Then again, sometimes losses in the conference tournaments shake up a team’s confidence just enough to make them hungry.  NCAA Tournament tickets will be available at StubHub.com in only a short while.  Ben Howland and UCLA fans will have to wait and wonder what seed they will end up with.

Permalink - Posted in General on March 9, 2007 - Post a comment

Memphis Extends Streak to 20 Games

Memphis is flying into the NCAA Tournament.  The Tigers put a hurt on Marshall last night in the Conference USA quarterfinals, beating the Thundering Herd 71-92, and extending their current win streak to 20 games.
 

The Tigers looked sharp, especially offensively.  Memphis, which is the C-USA’s top seed in the conference tournament, went on a 24-2 run in the first half to separate themselves permanently from Marshall.
 

Either Tulsa or Tulane will have to face the Memphis Tigers in the semis Friday night, but neither one should be much of a match for the Tigers, who went undefeated in their conference during the regular season.
 

Right now it looks as though Memphis will be moving up in the final stretch before the NCAA Tournament bracket comes out.  Check out StubHub.com for some great NCAA Tournament tickets, which could put you in the stands to see the No.1 seeded Memphis Tigers.   
   

Permalink - Posted in General on March 9, 2007 - Post a comment

College Hoops Coaches Depart

The St. Bonaventure Bonnnies and the University of San Diego Toreros became the two most recent NCAA basketball programs to see their head coaches disappear along with their tournament dreams.  
 

Anthony Solomon was fired from St. Bonaventure for a lack of performance and “personal issues,” according to the Bonnies’ athletic director.  Solomon had taken over a troubled program in Buffalo, NY, but could not produce a winning season in his career with the team.
 

Brad Holland will leave San Diego on a much better note.  He will walk away from his coaching duties with an overall record of 200-176 while on the Toreros sidelines.  In 2004, Holland guided the Toreros to his only NCAA Tournament appearance as a coach. 
 

The ‘04 Toreros, led by Jason “Big Scary” Keep and Jason Blair, defeated the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the WCC Championship at the Jenny Craig Pavilion on the USD campus.  Fans rushed the court and Holland made an impromptu speech holding a piece of netting.  It remains the only time a team has beaten the Bulldogs in the WCC Championship game in the last 10 years.
 

The final bunch of NCAA basketball tickets are available now, so check out StubHub.com for some good deals.  These tickets might be the last chance you get to see your favorite head coach stalking the sidelines.


 

Permalink - Posted in General on March 8, 2007 - Post a comment


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