Congrats Cleveland. You got the win you wanted. Let the confetti rain. Get the parade going. You beat Lebron James. Let the healing begin.
In the King’s second “homecoming”, the Cavaliers put up a fight this time and came away with the victory. Brilliant defense and a will that would not be broken were the reasons why the Cavs won this game. Constant movement away from the ball and crisp ball movement confused the Heat defense to the point where Ryan Hollins was effective…i’ll give you a moment to digest that previous statement…Ryan Hollins.
With that said, the Cavs almost blew this game. Despite having a 23 point lead, the Cavs began to wilt from the pressure put on by Dwyane Wade and James. Notice I left Chris Bosh out of that? That’s because he had one of his worst games of the season. Outside of the poor shooting (5 for 14), he was a complete ghost in the paint. I don’t know if he was scared or just plain confused but that’s not what you want out of one of your Big 3. Anyway, the Cavs fought back showing that they will not just lay down like they did on Dec 2. That effort and hard work paid off in a monumental win not only for the Cavs themselves but for their fan base that has been on an emotional roller coaster ever since The Decision.
Judging by the body language and the “suckage” of the Heat I just don’t think they were into this game. The lack of focus was obvious for most of the game and Lebron just seemed disinterested in the proceedings. Yes, he did get a triple double. Not really a surprise. What was a surprise was how ineffective Lebron was in the 4th quarter. He only scored 3 of his 27 points in the final period. With the game close you would think the best player on the planet would come through…right?
Regardless of how the teams played, the outcome is a joyous one for the Cleveland faithful. Their feelings were validated and now hopefully this team and the fan base can move forward with the healing process. Just know you will not being winning a championship no matter what Dan Gilbert says.
Is it an upset anymore? Shouldn’t we expect this by now? Has Butler every done something different? They play hard. They defense. They don’t quit. And now they are back in the Final Four. Even with Butler’s usual “get it done” mentality, Florida definitely helped the Bulldogs get to the promise land with ill-advised 300 foot jumpers from Florida’s backcourt. I would hope that coach Billy Donovan had something else in mind but that doesn’t matter now. Butler is back ladies and gentlemen.
Shelvin Mack scored 27 points and showed the poise you would expect from your senior leader. He scored 5 crucial points in overtime to gain the lead for the Bulldogs. Mr. “Right Place at the Right Time” Matt Howard finished with 14 points and had a tie up at the end which favored Butler in the closing seconds of overtime. Florida was plagued with terrible shot selection and questionable personnel moves in the closing moments. Its still unclear why Vernon Macklin was on the bench at the end of the game yet he had 25 points at that point and was 11 of 14 from the field. For whatever reason, the Gators had the hopes and dreams resting on an Erving Walker shot who was 0 of 8 from the field.
(5) Arizona 63 vs (3) Connecticut 65
26 minutes. That’s the amount of time Derrick Williams was on the floor. Foul trouble was the only thing that could stop Williams as he picked up 3 fouls in the first half and only played seven minutes. Connecticut sensed the blood in the water and proceeded to attack the Wildcats with intensity. With his team down, Williams came back in the second half and rallied his team to close the gap and make the game exciting and close. Unfortunately for Wildcat nation, Williams came up short in the end missing a three that would have sent Arizona to the Final Four.
Both Kemba Walker and Williams finished with 20 points to lead their teams but Walker needed 40 minutes to get there. Freshman Jeremy Lamb provided strong backcourt support for Walker finishing with 19 points, four rebounds, and two crucial steals.
(11) VCU 71 vs (1) Kansas 61
Remember when ESPN pundits were calling VCU a joke? “They shouldn’t be in this tournament” “Its an insult that they were selected” “We need to change the selection process” “Colorado or Alabama should be there instead of them”…Maybe we need to change the ESPN pundits? Then again maybe we should thank ESPN and other critics for the comments. ”Our guys are playing with a definite chip on the shoulder after what was said about us by the media on (Selection) Sunday night,” coach Shaka Smart said during his press conference earlier in the week. “This group is extremely competitive and anytime they are challenged, they’re going to respond and that’s what we’re seeing right now. They have a high level of energy and communication on both sides of the court. They are playing unselfish basketball and most importantly they’re playing loose and having fun. All that breeds from playing with confidence, which our guys are doing right now.”
VCU continues their Cinderella run taking down number 1 seed Kansas in spectacular fashion. Despite similar tactics against Richmond, Kansas was unable to intimidate VCU and found themselves in a intense uphill battle for most of the game. New NBA prospect Jamie Skeen led the VCU Rams with 26 points, ten rebounds, and two steals. Both Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris had big rebounding nights (12 and 16 respectively), but Markieff’s 8 turnovers and Marcus’ 4 fouls didn’t help the Jayhawks’ cause.
Is it me or does Kansas have some crushing losses in the tournament? Like more than other teams…
(4) Kentucky 76 vs (2) North Carolina 69
Lucky number 13. Its been 13 years since the Wildcats have been in the Final Four. The drought is finally over. And it didn’t even need a last second Brandon Knight shot for it to come to fruition either. A season removed from failing to reach the Final Four with John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, the Wildcats are heading back for the 14th time behind Knight’s outstanding tournament play, Josh Harrellson’s new found dominant presence, and coach John Calipari’s wisdom and energy. The Tar Heels fell short of the goal set by Michael Jordan earlier in the tournament but they still showed passion and grit.
Knight led the Wildcats with 22 points, seven rebounds and four assists while upperclassmen DeAndre Liggins and Harrellson both scored 12 points. Tyler Zeller led the Tar Heels with 21 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks while super freshman Harrison Barnes finished with 18 points, six rebounds, and four turnovers that proved to be costly.
Looks like that Buckeye fan base has something to look forward to next season. Their Freshman of the Year Jared Sullinger vowed to return to Columbus for his sophomore season.
“I’m going to be an Ohio State Buckeye next year,” he said. “Winning is that important to me. I don’t like losing. This is not what I came here to do. This is not what I came here for, to sit here and see my seniors crying. I came here to win a national championship, to see them celebrate. I wanted to (share) tears of joy with these guys. I’m a man of my word. I won’t change my mind for nobody. This is what I want. This is where I’m happy. I’m happy being an Ohio State Buckeye and playing for coach (Thad) Matta.”
Those are strong words considering Sullinger projects to be a Top 5 pick in the NBA Draft if he decided to declare. If Sullinger does stay true to his vow and returns it would be a punch to the face to the “one and done” mantra of today’s college game. Here is a clear top talent making the choice to continue his college career despite the millions that await him in the professional ranks. Sullinger even stated he wasn’t making an “in the moment” decision either but let’s face it…history is not on the Buckeyes’ side. Remember Mike Conley Jr after the 2007 national title game?
While these words may be a surprise to the general public, coach Thad Matta was prepared.
“He told me from Day one he’d be back for two years,” Matta said. “He said, ‘Draw me up a contract, whatever you want me to do, I’ll sign it.’ With him, his freshman year was as good as I’ve ever seen a freshman have. I think all the things he learned this year, with a great offseason, I have no doubt he’ll be the best player in college basketball.”
Before we make Sullinger sign a blood oath, we should probably hold off until emotions have settled.
Deja vu anyone? With 5 seconds left on the clock, freshman Brandon Knight hit his 2nd game winner of the tournament and sent the number one seed Ohio State Buckeyes home early. Similar to his previous game winner, Knight struggled throughout the game but game up big when it mattered. Hounded by his Ohio State counterpart Aaron Craft in Tyronn Lue fashion (remember that Iverson-Lue matchup in the 2001 NBA Finals? yeah so does Lue), Knight couldn’t find his rhythm for most of the game. It didn’t matter considering it was Kentucky’s upperclassmen that led the team against the powerhouse Buckeyes.
Senior Josh Harrellson held his own against super frosh Jared Sullinger and it proved to be vital to the Wildcat’s success. Not having to double Sullinger, the rest of the Wildcats were able to key in on those deadly 3-point shooters and limit open looks from behind the arc. Holding the Buckeyes under 38% from the three point line was a huge factor in the upset. Most of those clanks belonged to junior guard William Buford who shot a miserable 2 from 16 from the field.
Despite losing the close Sweet 16 matchup, Sullinger led all scorers with 21 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in the process. What’s even more amazing than his stat line is that fact that Sullinger stated after the game he will be coming back for his sophmore season. But we’ll touch on that later. Harrellson also had a big game for his squad getting 17 points and 10 rebounds. DeAndre Liggins played like an All-American scoring 15 big points off the bench for the Wildcats.
(11) VCU 72 vs (10) Florida State 71
Finally VCU gets tested this year. After winning their previous games by “large” margins, VCU and Florida State were locked in a nail biter and VCU showed the poise in a big time situation and FSU didn’t. For a team that many analysts and pundits said shouldn’t be in the tournament, VCU sure is providing the most c ompelling moments in the tourney.
Now I’m not going to lay the blame on one player but I have to ask myself what was Derwin Kitchen thinking on the last possession of not only the 2nd half but the overtime period as well. In the 2nd half, Kitchen essentially just dribbled until time ran out and the overtime period he just sort of passed on an open look and gave the ball to a covered teammate. Not exactly the plays you want from your senior floor leader.
Bradford Burgess had a huge night scoring 26 points which included 6 three pointers and the game winning layup with 7 seconds left. Despite two questionable plays at the end, Kitchen did led his team with 23 points. The clutch moments for FSU however belonged to Chris Singleton who hit some key shots (including a 3 pointer to send the game into overtime) and scored 16 points off the bench.
(12) Richmond 57 vs (1) Kansas 77
To be honest I think this game was won before the game even started. Exchanging shoves in the tunnel, Kansas set the tone before the 1st half commenced. The Jayhawks were definitely playing like a 1-seed is expected to, dominating the 12-seed Richmond Spiders from jump. Richmond didn’t seem like a team that belonged in the Sweet 16. Mistakes were made that were non-existent in their previous game and it appeared “the moment” got to them. The Jayhawks seized that moment and used it to go on a ridiculous 27-4 run that put them up 35-11 in the first half. From that point on Kansas led by at least 15 points the rest of the way.
Brady Morningstar led the Jayhawks with 18 points which included 4 threes. The Morris twins combined for 13 rebounds which was less than the 14 Thomas Robinson pulled down. Good thing they are on the same team. Justin Harper led the Spiders with 22 points but unfortunately for him none of his teammates were able to contribute due to Kansas’ suffocating defense.
Kansas has yet to be tested this year but we’ll see if VCU suffers the same fate as Richmond on Sunday.
(11) Marquette 63 vs (2) North Carolina 81
It appears Jordan’s pep talk is working wonders with Harrison Barnes and his fellow Tar Heels. This game was pretty much over before the second half. After being down 10-8 the Tar Heels put the foot on the gas pedal and floored it. At the end of the first half they found themselves up 40-15…that’s right 15 points scored in 20 minutes of game time. Yikes Marquette!
Tyler Zeller and Barnes continue their ‘most improved’ tour leading the Heels with 27 and 20 points respectively. Barnes did have a rough time shooting the ball going 6 of 18 from the field. He hit them when it mattered so I guess that’s what matters right? Just like Richmond, Marquette really didn’t have a shot a winning this game early on. They were outhustled and outplayed by the Heels for most of the game. Despite many attempts to derail the momentum with timeouts, the Heels just kept plugging away.
Yes the Hornets won this game. Unfortunately for them they may have lost their season. David West went down Thursday night with a knee injury and if the reports are to be believed, his status is far from promising. After seeing the actual injury happen you have to guess that he’s definitely down for the rest of the season. It also sucks just because he becomes a free agent and teams will undoubtedly think he will not be the same player. As far as the Hornets, they will rely on Carl Landry to pick up the slack.
Before being led off the court in a wheelchair, West did score 29 points and grab 3 rebounds. Scoring 24 points and dishing out 12 assists, Chris Paul was more concerned about his teammate than his stat line. “When you lose somebody like D-West, it’s devastating. That’s our go-to guy. But if anybody can bounce back from it, its D-West.” Jarrett Jack and Aaron Gray came up big off the bench scoring 15 and 10 points respectively. Expect more for Gray if West is out for extended time.
The Jazz have become an afterthought post-Deron Williams-Jerry Sloan era. There doesn’t seem to be a clear leader or direction for this new team and I’m not sure where either of the two items are going to come from. Having now lost 4 straight, they continue to trail that 8 seed in the West and it will probably get worse with injuries to Devin Harris and Andrei Kirilenko. They are looking at an upcoming schedule that would even make great teams shutter. Their next game is against the Mavs, 2 games against the Lakers, Portland at home, and San Antonio on the road…yikes. At least Paul Millsap put up 33 points. That’s good right?
Timberwolves 96 @ Mavericks 104
Pick and roll kids. Learn it. Master it. Love it. It saved the Mavericks from losing to one of the worst teams in the league (would have been worse considering no Kevin Love). Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry ran the greatest play almost every possession in the 4th combining for 19 points in the final quarter. It’s the key to our success late in games, it’s no secret, if it’s a close game late in the fourth quarter, Coach is going to ring up our numbers and we need to answer,” Terry said. “We work extremely hard on [the pick-and-roll] in practice, and during these types of games our team needs us and that’s what clutch players do by coming up big when the team needs them most.”
Nowitzki finished with 30 points and 11 rebounds while Terry added 18 points off the bench. Shawn Marion and Peja Stojakovic provided some double-digit support adding 17 and 16 points respectively. Not to make too big a deal out of this, Jason Kidd scored zero points…he did have 13 assists though. So I guess he gets a pass (no pun intended…or maybe it is…whatever). In a surprise performance Anthony Randolph decided to play the role of a NBA big man scoring 31 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. It is something about that PF spot that just means points scored and rebounds grabbed? Too bad for Randolph his teammates didn’t show up. If I was Ricky Rubio I wouldn’t want to play for this team either…but then again Rubio is trash too so I guess it doesn’t matter, shots fired…send hate mail to feedback@hoopsmack.com.
As a member of Pac-10 country I would like to thank Derrick Williams for activating beast mode on a night that the Arizona Wildcats definitely needed it. Carrying the Wildcats in the first half, Williams showed why NBA scouts have been raving about him. Williams scored a career high 32 points (which included 25 points in the first half). What’s special about Derrick’s first half? No other Wildcat had more than 4 points at the half.
Its clear that this is a disappointing end to the season for seniors Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler. In fact, so disappointing that neither Duke leader said a word. Nothing needed to be said. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski summed up what the Duke players faces were saying, “”The tournament is cruel. It’s an abrupt end for everybody when you don’t win.” I can only imagine that this is even worse for Singler who’s NBA draft stock has dropped following last year’s championship and being named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. Freshman sensation Kyrie Irving scored 28 points playing “meaningful minutes” for the first time since returning from injury.
(3) BYU 74 vs (2) Florida 83
The Gators of Florida got their revenge and Jimmer Fredette, better known as “The Jimmer”, had his career end with a resounding thud. Having lost to BYU in last year’s NCAA Tourney, the Gators showed that a great team will usually beat a great player. Alex Tyus led the balanced effort scoring 19 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. Kenny Boynton added 17 points. Boynton’s biggest contribution though? Making Jimmer’s life a living hell for most of the game.
Definitely the star attraction of the game, Fredette definitely had his work cut off for him. A combination of Iverson-like shot attempts and no help from teammates, Jimmer finished with 32 points but it took 29 shots to get there. Outside of a job in the NBA, no one knows what Jimmer’s pro career will play out. Will he have the green light to take those 30 footers?
(3) Connecticut 74 vs (2) San Diego State 67
We’ve seen it before. When its a big game, its Kemba Walker time. What we haven’t seen before? Jeremy Lamb. Lamb and Walker combined for 60 points…and Walker had 36 of those. Usually content with being a background dancer of the Kemba show, the freshman Lamb came up big scoring 24 points in pivotal moments in Thursday’s game against the Aztecs.
The best season in Aztec history has come to an end. Interesting that the Aztecs season comes at the hands of an opponent other than BYU. It seemed destined that those two MWC teams would meet for one final showdown. Despite having their season ended earlier than they wanted, the Aztecs had an amazing season and hopefully they will build on that success.
(8) Butler 61 vs (4) Wisconsin 54
The final score doesn’t tell the full story. For 35 minutes of this game Butler absolutely dominated this game. At one point in the second half they led by as many as 20 points. Is Butler lucky or just that good? Based on their last 3 games I would say both. Matt Howard was channeling Gordon Heyward leading the Bulldogs with 20 points and 12 rebounds and Shelvin Mack added 13 points.
Wisconsin struggled with Butler’s defense for most of the game and they were unable to turn on the offense until it was too late. Jordan Taylor led the Badgers with 22 points while the “expected” scoring leader Jon Leuer scored just 3 points on 1-12 shooting. Overall the Badgers struggled from the field shooting 30%. You know what they say…defense wins championships.
P.S. I hate you Butler for destroying my Southeast region bracket.
Harrison Barnes…the next time you meet up with Michael Jordan, you probably don’t want to have Kobe’s shoes on your feet.
The day before UNC beat Washington (disgusting) to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16, Barnes and his teammates ran into the G.O.A.T. as they were exiting Time Warner Cable Arena. Jordan spotting Barnes choice of shoe and decided to have some words with the young fella. ”If I see you in them Kobe Bryants, man, I’m gonna cut you right off,” Jordan said. “I don’t care if your feet kill you, you’re gonna wear them Jordans. Strong words…and given Jordan’s competitive nature there may be more meaning behind those words (Kobe’s shoes have gained popularity with the younger kids).
It wasn’t all bad as Jordan gave the current Tar Heels some incentive. If the Tar Heels win two games in New Jersey this weekend and get back to the Final Four, he’ll supply the entire team with the tough-to-find Air Jordan 11 Retro “Cool Greys,” along with “anything you want.” I know what you’re thinking, violation right? Wrong. The Jordan brand is the official equipment sponsor of the team.
With this new incentive Marquette better watch out.
The team at HoopSmack welcomes back The Prophet to discuss why the Knicks are similiar to the Heat, if the Celtics will suffer from an Ainge decision, the Bulls and Lakers chances at a title, and whether Orlando and Atlanta are done. We also talk about a certain tournament going on.
Download Episode 18 on iTunes, Zune Marketplace or right-click here to save to your machine. Leave us feedback on the iTunes store, send us an email at feedback@hoopsmack.com or hit us on Twitter.
