FanHouse Main

Duke Downs Cal, but Test Still Awaits

Jim Henry — 2010-03-21T18:48:00 00:00

Filed under: California, Duke, ACC, Pac-10, March Madness, NCAA Tournament, NCAA Tournament - South Region

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Now the real challenge begins for top-seeded Duke.

The Blue Devils turned in an impressive all-around performance and upended No. 8 seed California 68-53 here Sunday in second-round play of the NCAA Tournament at Veterans Memorial Arena.

Duke, tabbed the favorite in the South Region, advances into next weekend's Sweet 16 in Houston. And, it's the trip to Texas, pundits say, where the Blue Devils must prove their elite status.

If that's truly the case -- especially considering the rash of upsets in the Big Dance thus far -- their solid effort against the Golden Bears was certainly a statement.

Duke (31-5) simply had too much size, strength and depth on both ends of the floor, building a double-digit advantage by halftime (37-24). It also made good use of California miscues in the game, scoring 18 points off eight turnovers.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Cornell's Win Over Wisconsin Sends Both Teams Home

Jim Henry — 2010-03-21T16:28:00 00:00

by Jim Henry

Filed under: Wisconsin, Big Ten, March Madness, NCAA Tournament, NCAA Tournament - East Region

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Bo Ryan lamented it was a coach's worst nightmare to prepare for Cornell in one day. He was partially correct. Game day was just as bad, if not worse.

No. 12 Cornell continued its magical journey Sunday afternoon in the NCAA tournament, exploding to an early double-digit lead and sending another favorite home in its 87-69 win over No. 4 Wisconsin here at Veterans Memorial Arena.

Here's what the historic second-round victory does for the Big Red of Ithaca, N.Y.:

o. Advances them to their first-ever Sweet 16 appearance next weekend against No. 1 seeded Kentucky at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, just one hour from their New York campus.

o. Improves their record to 29-4 overall, breaking an Ivy League record for wins in a season (the 1970-71 Penn Quakers were 28-1).

o. Gives the Big Red consecutive wins over Top 25 teams in a span of three days after going 17 years without one at all (4-63 all-time versus Top 25 teams).

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Krzyzewski, Duke Ready for Upset Bid by California

Jim Henry — 2010-03-21T13:55:00 00:00

by Jim Henry

Filed under: California, Duke, ACC, Pac-10, March Madness, NCAA Tournament, NCAA Tournament - South Region

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Will Duke be the next No. 1 to fall?

The Blue Devils, who entered the NCAA Tournament as a top seed for the ninth time in the past 13 years and 11th time overall, understand they have targets on their backs. That's daily life for the Dukies, even if critics howled longer and louder than usual over Duke's elite tourney seeding this year.

The Blue Devils, 38-8 as a No. 1 seed, face No. 8 California in Sunday's second round here at Veterans Memorial Arena. Duke is trying to advance to the Sweet 16 for the second time since it last made the Final Four in 2006.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Centers Give Reason for High Expectations for Duke, Cal, Cornell

Jim Henry — 2010-03-20T21:48:00 00:00

by Jim Henry

Filed under: California, Duke, Wisconsin, ACC, Big Ten, Pac-10, March Madness, NCAA Tournament, NCAA Tournament - East Region, NCAA Tournament - South Region

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- They are the big men in the middle, three 7-footers who each play different yet important roles on their teams here at the NCAA tournament.

There's bearded Duke center Brian Zoubek, who is finally healthy and is credited by coaches and teammates for providing a needed post presence. Say hello to Cornell center Jeff Foote, a recruiting afterthought and a favorite of his head coach. And let's not forget California center Max Zhang, the tallest of the three at 7-foot-3 who continues to gain confidence each time he steps on the floor.

The trio's performances -- specifically from Zoubek and Foote -- could likely decide which teams survive Sunday's second round at Veterans Memorial Arena and advance to the Sweet 16.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Talented Cornell Underdog in Name Only

Jim Henry — 2010-03-20T17:28:00 00:00

by Jim Henry

Filed under: Wisconsin, Big Ten, March Madness, NCAA Tournament - East Region

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- There were a lot of people who thought Cornell was under-seeded at No. 12 in the NCAA Tournament. Count Wisconsin senior guard Jason Bohannon in that majority. Bohannon caught a portion of the Big Red's opening-round victory over Temple Friday afternoon from the seats of Veterans Memorial Arena.

"I mean, watching them yesterday, they show why they're in the tournament," Bohannon said Saturday. "They certainly proved they are as good as anyone."

Cornell has surfaced as one of the more compelling stories in The Big Dance, the Ivy League champions who won their first NCAA tourney game in school history and the first by an Ancient Eight team in 12 years.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Cal Ensures Duke vs. Pitino Isn't in Cards

Jim Henry — 2010-03-20T00:46:00 00:00

by Jim Henry

Filed under: California, Louisville, March Madness, NCAA Tournament, NCAA Tournament - South Region

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- So much for the highly-anticipated Duke-Louisville showdown here in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

No. 8 seeded California was simply too good early -- and too good late -- for No. 9 Louisville.

The Golden Bears exploded to an early 18-point advantage and then refused to wilt under a furious Cardinals rally to post an exciting 77-62 victory in Friday's fourth and final opening-round game at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.

California, winner of its first regular-season Pac-10 title in a half century, rarely skipped a beat without suspended 6-foot-7 forward Omondi Amoke. The Golden Bears (24-10) made the Cardinals (20-13) try to keep pace with their smaller, quicker lineup.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Duke Slams Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Jim Henry — 2010-03-19T22:14:00 00:00

by Jim Henry

Filed under: Duke, March Madness, NCAA Tournament - South Region

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- As top-seed Duke huddled in the tunnel prior to its opening NCAA tournament game here Friday night, the feisty Blue Devils reminded each other this was the tourney they had prepared for the entire season.

Well, it's a start.

Duke made easy work of 16th-seeded Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 73-44, at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, no doubt relying on intensity generated from the criticism about its worthiness as a top seed.

The Golden Lions, who were trying to become the first No. 16 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed, never really had a chance despite their spunk and spirit. Anyway, Arkansas-Pine Bluff had already succeeded in the tourney, winning Tuesday's play-in game over Winthrop, 61-44, in Dayton, Ohio.

Duke (30-5), meanwhile, must prove itself, according to many pundits.

Only once since the Blue Devils' 2001 title has Duke gotten past the Sweet 16. Additionally, the Blue Devils have not beaten a team seeded higher than fifth since that championship run. No one on the current roster has ever won a game beyond the second weekend.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Terriers Nip at Badgers, but Wisconsin Holds On

Jim Henry — 2010-03-19T17:31:00 00:00

by Jim Henry

Filed under: Wisconsin, NCAA Tournament, NCAA Tournament - East Region

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Crazy, in a wonderful way, nearly worked for No. 13 Wofford.

No. 4 Wisconsin, making its 12th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance, needed every bit of its experience, size advantage and a clutch shot to beat the Terriers 53-49 Friday at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Junior forward Jon Leuer drained a baseline jumper with 17 seconds remaining to snap a 49-49 tie and, following a Wofford turnover, added a pair of free throws with 4.2 seconds left to secure the dramatic win.

Wofford and Arkansas-Pine Bluff are the only schools in the field of 64 that haven't played in the NCAA tournament before.

Wisconsin (24-8) and Wofford (26-9) played two seasons ago, with Wisconsin winning 70-43. This one wasn't as easy as Badgers coach Bo Ryan also earned his 600th career victory.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

It's a Big Red Win for Ivy's Cornell

Jim Henry — 2010-03-19T14:35:00 00:00

by Jim Henry

Filed under: NCAA Tournament, NCAA Tournament - East Region

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Louis Dale remembers when he first walked around the Cornell campus, he couldn't believe what he'd walked into. Dale casually asked students if they attended basketball games.

Say what?

Hockey was king. Lacrosse was a close second.

Stash the sticks. Hoops has quickly gained popularity over the past few years in Ithaca, N.Y., and the Big Red made history Friday. No. 12 Cornell kept the early NCAA tournament upsets in style, beating No. 5 Temple 78-65 here in the opening subregional game at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.

The Ivy League champion Big Red captured their first NCAA tourney game in history behind superb shooting from the outside and solid defense. It also represented the first win for the Ivy League since Princeton in 1998.

Dale (21 points) , a senior from Birmingham, Ala., and Ryan Wittman (20), son of former Indiana star and NBAer Randy Wittman, combined to score 41 points. The pair was 13 of 26 from the floor, firing away on more than half of Big Red's 48 attempted field goals, and combined on seven treys.

Cornell (28-4), which led by as many as 19 points, has won 16 of its last 17 and is 26-2 since Turkey Day.

"I think our mentality was we wanted to be the toughest team," Dale said. "We just wanted to -- we knew it was going to be a hard-fought game and that we just needed to stay poised and be tough."

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Thornburg, Bucs Won't Stop Here After Big Win Over Florida

Jim Henry — 2010-03-19T08:00:00 00:00

by Jim Henry

Filed under: College World Series, College Sports

Tyler Thornburg's routine didn't change just because he went the distance on 158 pitches and registered a career-high 11 strikeouts against nationally-ranked Florida a day earlier.

Thornburg, a talented two-way player at Charleston Southern University, arrived for practice Monday afternoon and went Forrest Gump, so to speak. Thornburg started to run and didn't stop for 30 minutes. He also mixed in stretches and sprints in an effort to accelerate his recovery.

Of course, workouts are always more enjoyable after a win. And Thornburg and the Buccaneers are determined to build on Sunday's effort at Florida and make this a special season in Charleston, S.C. Charleston Southern last appeared in an NCAA Regional in 1996, going two-and-out against Clemson and Tennessee.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Philly Connection in the River City

Jim Henry — 2010-03-18T19:50:00 00:00

by Jim Henry

Filed under: Wisconsin, March Madness, NCAA Tournament, NCAA Tournament - South Region

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Dunphy, Donahue and Bo. The Philly Connection is alive and well in the River City at the NCAA tournament.

By all accounts, there are at least 12 head coaches with Philadelphia connections in this year's Big Dance. Three were sent South to the Sunshine State, here on the banks of the St. Johns River, and two good friends will square off in Friday's opening game -- Fran Dunphy of No. 5 Temple against Steve Donahue of No. 12 Cornell. Bo Ryan's No. 4 Wisconsin Badgers follow in the second game against No. 13 Wofford.

Naturally, the three are proud of their heritage.

"Well, what we should probably tell the audience is anybody from Philly that sits in the stands thinks they're a coach," Ryan explained. "Have you ever met anybody from that area that didn't think they could coach? So you learn early about opinions."

And Xs and Os.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Nolan Smith Hopes to Carry Duke, Father to Another Championship

Jim Henry — 2010-03-17T21:45:00 00:00

by Jim Henry

Filed under: Duke, ACC, March Madness, NCAA Tournament, NCAA Tournament - South Region

Nolan Smith has eyes and ears.

He knows what's behind him, that Duke hasn't reached the Final Four since 2004. He's also aware what's in front of him, a possible second-round matchup in the NCAA tournament against Louisville. Smith's late father Derek was a nine-year NBA veteran who played on the Cardinals' national championship team in 1980.

Smith, however, is focused on the moment.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

For Penn State's Shuler, NFL Is a Matter Of Legacy

Jim Henry — 2010-03-17T08:00:00 00:00

by Jim Henry

Filed under: Penn State

GULF BREEZE, Fla. -- Mickey Shuler has all the necessary intangibles -- size, strength, and smarts. Let's not forget pedigree, either. His father enjoyed a highly successful career in the NFL, too.

Yet, Shuler realizes that professional scouts still may have questions after their review of video from his career at Penn State, where he was an important but unsung contributor at tight end for the Nittany Lions offense.

That's why Shuler spent two months here at Athletes' Performance Institute in preparation Wednesday's Pro Day at Penn Sate, catching passes from quarterbacks such Sam Bradford and Dan LeFevour and refining his body and skills.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Duke Holds Off Determined Georgia Tech for Record 18th ACC Title

Jim Henry — 2010-03-14T15:29:00 00:00

by Jim Henry

Filed under: Duke, Georgia Tech, ACC, March Madness, ACC Tournament, NCAA Tournament - South Region

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Normalcy returned to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Sunday. Duke, ho-hum, won another title.

The top-seeded Blue Devils rode an early double-digit lead and held on to beat determined seventh-seeded Georgia Tech 65-61 at the Greensboro Coliseum for their record-setting 18th tournament championship and ninth in the past 12 years.

The Yellow Jackets, playing their fourth game in four days and showing signs of fatigue, were looking to capture their first title since 2005. They were also looking to become the lowest seed to accomplish the feat -- no team seeded lower than sixth has ever won the ACC tournament.

The Yellow Jackets were only the fourth team seeded lower than sixth to reach the finals in 57 years. No team had ever won four games in four days to capture the title either. They overcame a lethargic start, falling behind by 12 points, and magically rallied from a 10-point deficit with 3:37 left to make the Blue Devils earn their ring.

While Duke's offense never looked sharp during its three tourney victories, it again won with defense -- and mixed in a dramatic trey to finally shake Tech.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NC State Can't Finish Cinderella Run

Jim Henry — 2010-03-13T19:29:00 00:00

by Jim Henry

Filed under: Georgia Tech, NC State, March Madness, ACC Tournament, NCAA Tournament - Midwest Region

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- North Carolina State's magical run in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament has ended. Call it bad luck or a missed opportunity.

Either way, give Georgia Tech credit for being the first of three tourney opponents to solve the gritty, scraggly Wolfpack.

The seventh-seeded Yellow Jackets upended the eleventh-seeded Wolfpack 57-54 in Saturday's semifinal showdown here at the ACC Tournament.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Duke Survives Hurricane Scare, Moves to ACC Final

Jim Henry — 2010-03-13T17:15:00 00:00

by Jim Henry

Filed under: Duke, ACC, March Madness, University of Miami, ACC Tournament

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- So much for worst to first.

No. 12 seed Miami had the heart and hope, but the Hurricanes simply didn't have enough juice to keep pace with No. 1 Duke in Saturday's Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament semifinal. That's not to say the South Beachers didn't make it entertaining, however.

Duke was tested, squandering a pair of double-digit advantages in each half, but it regrouped to earn a 77-74 victory that advances it into Sunday's championship at the Greensboro Coliseum.

The Blue Devils, who can win a league-best 18th tournament title, also continue to play for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Duke (28-5) got a brief scare when the Hurricanes (20-13), who were in the ACC semifinals for the first time in their history, put together a 17-2 run to erase a 12-point deficit and take a 35-32 lead at the break.

Not to worry.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NC State Adds to Lower Seed Domination in ACC Tourney

Jim Henry — 2010-03-13T00:42:00 00:00

by Jim Henry

Filed under: NC State, ACC, March Madness, Florida State, ACC Tournament

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Toss those Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament bracket sheets. Let's start over.

Pencil in top-seeded Duke. The Blue Devils are always solid. Now, to save time, simply advance the 12th-seed, 11th-seed and seventh-seed into Saturday's semifinals. Crazy, huh? It's also for real.

Eleventh-seeded North Carolina State closed out a wild Friday at the Greensboro Coliseum, upsetting third-seed Florida State 58-52 to make a complete yet entertaining mess out of the country's most prestigious tourney.

The three lower seeds, including No. 12 Miami and No. 7 Georgia Tech, beat their favored opponents in quarterfinal play. The Wolfpack (19-14) closed out the four-game day in dramatic fashion before a large, vocal crowd that cheered and gasped on every possession as the scoreboard seconds ticked away.

Say so long to the Seminoles (22-9), who lost to Duke in last year's title game and fell to 1-8 in the Greensboro Coliseum.

N.C. State, which advances to play Georgia Tech, held on for dear life after it built a 51-43 advantage with 8:41 remaining. The Wolfpack scored just one point during the next six minutes.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Georgia Tech Overachieves Again, Upsetting Maryland

Jim Henry — 2010-03-12T22:10:00 00:00

by Jim Henry

Filed under: Georgia Tech, Maryland, ACC, March Madness, ACC Tournament

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- So, is this the Georgia Tech its fans expected this season?

The seventh-seeded Yellow Jackets packaged a powerful start with a poised finish to upset second-seeded Maryland 69-64 in a thrilling Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament quarterfinal Friday night at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Georgia Tech, which built an early 19-point advantage, secured its second consecutive tournament victory in the frantic, final few seconds.

The fun began with Tech leading, 67-64.

That's when Yellow Jackets' guard Iman Shumpert blocked Maryland's Greivis Vasquez's potential game-tying trey from near the top of the arc with five seconds remaining. An alert Shumpert hustled and gained possession as Vasquez tugged on his jersey from behind for an intentional foul with 3.7 ticks left.

Shumpert drained one of two free throws, Tech regained possession and hit another free throw for good measure.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Johnson Keys Miami in Homecoming Win Over Virginia Tech

Jim Henry — 2010-03-12T17:23:00 00:00

by Jim Henry

Filed under: Virginia Tech, ACC, March Madness, University of Miami, ACC Tournament

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Reggie Johnson's homecoming couldn't be going better. Pass the barbecue and extra sauce.

Johnson, Miami's powerful and passionate big man, helped the 12th-seeded Hurricanes upset fourth-ranked Virginia Tech 70-65 in Atlantic Coast Conference quarterfinal play Friday. It was UM's second consecutive victory over a higher seed and advances it into Saturday's semifinals for the first time against No. 1 Duke.

The Hurricanes (20-12) again survived without Dwayne Collins, the team's leading scorer and rebounder who is out with an injured leg. Don't worry. Johnson, a redshirt freshman from nearby Winston-Salem whose parents' home is a 15-minute drive from the Greensboro Coliseum, has helped fill the void.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Duke Rebounds After Slow Start

Jim Henry — 2010-03-12T14:48:00 00:00

by Jim Henry

Filed under: Duke, Virginia, ACC, March Madness, ACC Tournament, NCAA Tournament - South Region

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Well, kudos to undermanned Virginia. At least the Cavs made it respectable and, in their own unique way, darn interesting for 35 minutes or so.

In a match-up low on style points and precision, top-seeded Duke escaped with a 57-46 victory over Virginia in an Atlantic Coast Conference tournament quarterfinal Friday at the Greensboro Coliseum.

The Blue Devils (27-5), playing for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, needed a late surge to finally shake the stubborn ninth-seeded Cavaliers (15-16).

Virginia, coming off its first ACC tournament win since 2006 and playing without suspended leading scorer Sylven Landesberg, played hard and smart to make it somewhat uncomfortable for the Dukies and their large fan base that made the short drive from Durham.

The Cavs actually led by one point in the first half and were even with the Blue Devils, 27-27, at intermission. But then they simply ran out of juice, scoring only two points in the final 6:24.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments