After a break, blog returns with Bracket Challenge wrap up

After taking a couple of days off in the wake of the NCAA Tournament, now's as good a time as any to revisit a few of the lingering leftovers from college basketball.

First, it's time to publicly recognize the guys who kicked my butt in my very own Hangin' With The Nuss Bracket Challenge. Reader Chris Cloke proved to be the best of the dirty half-dozen, posting an overall score 178 points, fueled by Florida's repeat as champion. Cloke, believe it or not, was the only one to pick Florida to win it all.

Coming in second was longtime friend Ryan Sadoski, who probably would have won had there been any actual money on the line. After a horrific start, I made a strong comeback to climb to third, fueled by getting three of the four Final Four participants. In fact, I had the fewest correct games out of anyone in the pool.

Thanks to all who played -- it was fun for me to do. We'll try and get some more readers involved next year!

As predicted, Ohio State to square off against Florida

It turned out to be the night of disappearing stars.

First, it was Georgetown's Jeff Green forgetting to show up against Ohio State, then later it was Pac-10 player of the year Arron Afflalo getting shut down by Florida for the second consecutive year.

Both proved to be fatal to their team's chances of advancing to the championship game on Monday night.

Green absolutely was taken out of his game by the Buckeyes, who used a four-guard offense to swarm and overpower the Hoyas while center Greg Oden rode the pine with foul trouble. Afflalo finished with 17 points, but he scored the bulk of them with the game already out of reach. His team needed him, and he couldn't deliver.

Perhaps the thing that continues to surprise people is that the Buckeyes are far more than a one trick pony. So much was made by people such as myself of Oden's impact on that game, but the Buckeyes played some of their best ball while he was on the bench, as pointed out by reader drpezz. In fact, they were able to increase their lead in the first half while Oden was out of the game with two fouls.

Then, when Oden came back in with Hibbert in foul trouble, he took over, I believe scoring six consecutive points. Then when he got his fourth foul, the Buckeyes were again able to keep playing at a high level. Mike Conley Jr. is a heck of a point guard -- he dictates pace as well as just about any guard in this tournament -- and Ohio State proved it can beat a quality opponent in more than one way.

Other quick observations ...

• I came away very impressed with Roy Hibbert. He comported himself very nicely against Oden. He's not the most athletic guy, but he uses his body pretty well to play tall. Georgetown's coaching staff deserves a lot of credit for turning that guy into the player that he is -- he's clearly been coached well.
• The big battle between Oden and Hibbert never materialized, thanks to fouls. There was a lot of outcry on ESPN in the aftermath about letting the big guys play, but I came away with a different take: These guys need to play smarter. Both Oden and Hibbert picked up some silly fouls -- Oden's moving screen and Hibbert's chicken wing rebound come to mind -- and that changed the game more than anything. They have to know that they're big, and they have to not commit such silly fouls -- it jsut shows tremendous immaturity. I do agree with Vitale on one thing, though: I wouldn't mind seeing college basketball go to six fouls. These are kids still learning how to play the game, and it would keep silly fouls -- or questionable calls -- from changing the outcome of games.
• How about UCLA getting outrebounded 42-25 by Florida? The Bruins' big men just couldn't physically matchup with the Gators, as I suspected. Al Horford and Joakim Noah combined for 28 rebounds all by themselves. Let me repeat that: Horford and Noah had more rebounds than the entire UCLA team! And so much for that vaunted UCLA defense. Florida shot 53 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range.
• If there was any doubt about Florida's intensity on its way to the Final Four, the Gators clearly showed they were just waiting for this stage. All those guys came back for this opportunity, and they clearly were not going to let this night pass them by. Should be interesting to see if Ohio State wilts under the championship game pressure in the face of a motivated Florida squad.

I've also thrown in a Bracket Challenge update with just the championship game to do. After that debacle of a start, I've now moved up into third place -- thank goodness, because I was sweating having to face my faithful readers with such a pitiful performance. The first annual Bracket Challenge champion will not be crowned, however, until Monday night. Ryan Sadoski's got a 21-point lead on Chris Cloke, but Cloke can overtake him if Florida wins it all. Sadoski runs away with it if Ohio State wins, and I'll vault to second. Stay tuned.

We'll have some more notes in the next day or so, including a full-blown preview of the game on Monday night. See you then.

Hoyas complete Final Four field with shocking comeback

With about eight minutes to go and North Carolina leading Georgetown by 10 in the last regional final of the day, I made the cardinal sin of the NCAA Tournament: I gave up on the game.

Apparently, so did the Tar Heels.

North Carolina has been as bipolar as any team in college basketball this season, and that was as evident as it ever has been as the Tar Heels put together one of the more spectacular collapses of this NCAA Tournament as I attempted to finish putting together my son's dresser that had been taunting me, half finished, for day.

One minute, North Carolina's up by 10, and I'm telling my wife that Georgetown has practically no chance, because rarely do teams track down the Tar Heels from behind. The next, I'm sitting on the couch, kicking myself for finally tearing myself from the TV at the most inopportune time.

It turned out to be exhibit 1a of why I picked the Tar Heels to be the first No. 1 seed upset in this Tournament.

In the best of times, they wear teams down with their superior depth and athleticism, putting away opponents with a relentless flurry of fast breaks capped by dunks and layups. It's how they built a 10-point lead over No. 2 seed Georgetown with roughly eight minutes to go in the game.

In the worst of times, they're undisciplined, giving away possessions on both offense and defense. That's how they made just two baskets over the final nine minutes of regulation and five minutes of overtime in frittering away a trip to the Final Four in a most unlikely manner.

All the credit in the world goes to Georgetown for not giving up on the game. The Hoyas were not intimidated by the Tar Heels from tip to buzzer, and they've made a believer out of me. I still don't think they'll get past Ohio State, but they're a darn good team.

Other observations ...

• In the early game, it was live by the sword, die by the sword for Oregon. Tajuan Porter lost his golden touch, and Florida's strong inside game was just too much for the undersized Ducks. Maarty Leunen is one of the most underrated big men in the Pac-10, but he was clearly overmatched against Joakim Noah and Al Horford. Frankly, it was only a matter of time before the Oregon was done in by a cold shooting performance; the Ducks should feel fortunate it didn't happen sooner.
• For as much as everyone loves Tyler Hansbrough -- the toughness, the "Psycho T" persona, etc. -- the guy sure disappears for long stretches of games. Any player who is a true go-to guy doesn't let his team go the final 15 minutes of a game with only two buckets. There's talk about him coming out for the NBA Draft, but the guy clearly needs to stay in school and figure out a way to become a more consistent force.

On the Bracket Challenge front, Ryan Sadoski has slipped into the lead by just a mere point ahead of Chris Cloke, who had the Heels heading to the championship. I'm still looking good for third place, if Ohio State does its job.

I'll have more Final Four talk this week, and probably ease into some more baseball. See you then.

Back home, 'Reign Over Me' is really good, just like UCLA

For everyone who thought that "Reign Over Me" looked like a great movie simply based on the premise (a guy loses his entire family in 9/11 and goes crazy) and the actors (Don Cheadle and Adam Sandler), you were right -- it is a great movie.

And for everyone who thought UCLA was going to come up short of another Final Four run based on its back-to-back losses to Washington and Cal ... well, you were wrong.

The Bruins are headed to their second consecutive Final Four for the first time since John Wooden patrolled the sidelines in Westwood, and they did it against the team that many thought was the best team left in the tournament based on its performance through the first three games.

Perhaps most impressive is that UCLA beat Kansas at its own game, playing better defense (holding the Jayhawks to 41.1 percent shooting) and executing better on offense (shooting 53.3 percent from the floor) than the No. 1 seed. And Arron Afflalo -- 24 points, 10-of-15 from the field -- is showing the rest of the country why he was the premier player in what is proving to be the best conference in the country.

The net result is that I'm now 2-for-2 in my Final Four picks, and I have now ascended from the basement in my own Bracket Challenge, and I'm eyeing third place. Good thing, because I was starting to look like one heck of a moron for letting my readers whip my butt!

The best I can do tomorrow is get one more team in the Final Four (Florida) as the winner of UNC/Georgetown is of little consequence to me. However, it will have a major effect on
the top of our Challenge: Chris Cloke, our leader, has UNC all the way to the championship; Ryan Sadoski, traling first by nine points, has Georgetown in winning the regional final.

Tomorrow should be fun! I'll be back with more then.

Wrapping up Friday night: UNC, Oregon finish off Elite Eight; Plus: What to expect tomorrow

I'm heading to bed, so I'm not going to write a whole bunch. Just a couple of quick thoughts on the two late games:

• Is there anyone in the country that can play with North Carolina when the Tar Heels are on fire like they were for about a 10-minute stretch against USC? The Trojans completely outplayed UNC for 3/4 of that game, and all of their effort was completely erased in one spectacular burst. When Jim Nantz described it as "turning on the afterburners," that's about as apt a description as I can think of. The problem? UNC's effort still comes and goes. They seem to rely on wearing teams down with their superior depth. Makes me wonder if they can do the same thing against a team with comparable talent and depth, such as Florida. That said, it was downright scary how slow the Tar Heels made USC look during that burst.
• Oregon's offense is what gets all the attention, but what really is driving this run by the Ducks is their defense, which really is remarkable considering how horrible that part of their game was midway through the season. Since the end of the regular season, Oregon has only allowed an opponent to shoot better than 42 percent once -- Miami of Ohio. This from a team that couldn't stop anyone for periods this season. They'll need all of that newfound defensive intensity to have any kind of shot against Florida.

That's it for tonight. I've posted the latest Bracket Challenge standings. UNC and Georgetown winning really hurt my chances to make some hay, although I've still got three of four Final Four teams alive.

As for tomorrow, I'll be away from an Internet connection all day, although I will be near a TV. So be looking for more analysis as we head into the Final Four -- my favorite three sports game sof the year!

Hear that sound? That's the sound of me cruising out of the basement!

Well, at least my bracket isn't as screwed as some peoples' -- at least pending the Tennessee/Ohio State game.

Although I had Texas A&M advancing one more round, the Aggies' loss screwed a lot of other people a lot worse that it did me. For example, both Dan Oldham and JoJo Roberts had Texas A&M going to the Final Four -- or beyond -- and I can look forward to passing them soon.

The race to win my Bracket Challenge is shaping up nicely as a three-horse race between Chris Cloke, Ryan Sadoski and Mike Larson. Although Cloke holds a five-point advantage over Sadoski, all three can still come out on top as all three have different champs. The standings you see above are with the last two games of the night still to play.

(Incidentally, I've officially got no chance to win, since my three Final Four teams left mirror three of Sadoski's Final Four, and we've got the same chance. So, I'll officially concede that Ryan is smarter than I am. Congrats Sado!)

I do have Ohio State winning it all, so unless the Buckeyes can figure out a way to quit turning the ball over, missing free throws, missing shots, and giving up layups, I'll probably be right back where I was a week ago. Oh well -- such is the tournament. That's what I get for counting on some upsets in a tournament where there haven't been any ...

Other observations from tonight:

• Didn't get to watch a lot of the Texas A&M/Memphis game, but one thing I did some away impressed by was Memphis' toughness. I think most people assumed the Tigers would wilt in this tournament after beating up on the cupcakes of C-USA -- I know I did -- but they proved worthy of everything the Aggies threw at them. I wasn't sure they could win a close game, but they did it, and impressively at that. No miracle heroics from Acie Law ...
• Did get to watch a bunch of the Kansas/SIU game. The most impressive thing to me? The Salukis' swarming defense. That reminds me of what the Cougars will be like once they get some better athletes in the program. Don't get me wrong, I love Weaver, Low, Cowgill, etc., but those guys do it mostly on guts and guile. SIU's got some guys who really get after you. Unfortunately for them, they ran into a team that plays defense just as hard, but has elite athletes. They never really stood a chance against the Jayhawks, who look more and more impressive each time out.
  

Home from church -- keeping an eye on UO/Winthrop, Purdue/Florida

I'm now settled in front of the TV, and I'll be keeping tabs on the two games mentioned above. I didn't get to see much of Virginia/Tennessee, but I'll admit that I thought Tennessee was pretty vulnerable coming into this tournament. From what I saw, the Vols looked awful tough today.

For those keeping track, the SEC's already got two teams in the Sweet Sixteen, with a chance to get another two in today.

Here's the latest Bracket Challenge standings. I'll have a full breakdown on each person's chances of winning tomorrow, but I'll post the updated standings as much as I can. Yes, that's me bringing up the distant rear. But I've still got all Final Fours alive, so I've got a chance ...

Round 1 wraps up the way it began: Uneventfully

Thirty-two games in the books, and I've got to say I truly can't remember a more uneventful first two days of the NCAA Tournament. Of those 32 games, the higher seeds won 27 of them.

Yuck. Not exactly March Madness.

Let's hope this translates into some excitement over the next two days, as schools play for the right to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

Coming up tomorrow: I'll have a full preview of the WSU/Vandy matchup, as well as a breakdown of the first round of the Bracket Challenge. Needless to say, I'm not exactly looking forward to that second one ...

Tough luck for Illinois as yet another 12 seed goes down

Gotta feel for Bruce Webber and Illinois.

After leading for pretty much the entire game against Virginia Tech behind hard-nosed defense and workmanlike offense, the Illini had a chance to win the game down by one with about 20 seconds to go.

The only problem is, they never were able to get off the shot, thanks to the referees.

I don’t know what referee crew was working that game, but they should be fined or suspended for what they allowed to transpire. It’s commonplace for referees to allow an extra measure of contact in the waning moments of a contest, but the no-call in the last minute of that game was beyond egregious. If you didn’t see it, you should – the shooter got absolutely raked across the wrist bringing the ball up to shooting position, and the ball squirted straight up in the air without the ball getting near the rim.

Illinois got another chance when an overzealous Tech defender fouled on a loose ball, but, down two, the 60 percent free throw shooter was unable to even convert the front end of the one-and-one.

I wasn’t exactly heartbroken that another one of my Sweet Sixteen picks was able to survive, so I’m not sad Illinois lost. You just hate to see it happen that way.

Other thoughts from the early evening games:

• The Pac-10 isn’t exactly doing itself any favors in this Tournament. While UCLA and WSU looked pretty impressive in their openers, Oregon looked shaky, Stanford looked horrible, and now Arizona is out after losing to Purdue in yet another inexplicably uninspired NCAA Tournament game. The Boilermakers absolutely outplayed, outworked and outhustled the Wildcats, grabbing 17 offensive rebounds and winning just about every loose ball. How a team can look so dispassionate in the NCAA Tournament is completely beyond me. The Wildcats have so much talent, yet after 30 or so games, they still couldn’t figure out how to play together. Back to the drawing board, Lute.


• Don’t be fooled by the close margin in the Texas/New Mexico State game. Reggie Theus has assembled a pretty good collection of talent down there in Las Cruces, and showed a good ability to make nice adjustments throughout the game against the Longhorns. A prime example: When Texas had stretched its lead out to 12 midway through the second half, I turned to my wife and said, “Game over.” That’s typically when an undermanned mid-major runs out of gas. Theus put the foot to the gas, calling for a full-court press, and few 3’s later, the Aggies were right back in it. If you’re looking for a little Gonzaga-type action, NMSU might tickle your fancy for the next few years.


• Another reason not to be fooled by the closeness of that game? Texas was playing its fourth game in eight days after playing three in three days in the Big 12 Tournament. In those three games, Texas’ big three – Durant, Augustin and Abrams – each played at least 36 minutes in each game. They all played over 40 minutes in the OT thriller against Kansas in the championship on Sunday. Don’t forget: Durant and Augustin are freshmen; Durant especially looked a bit lethargic today. If the Longhorns can survive this weekend and get a little rest next week, I think they can make the run most of us believe they’re capable of.


• USC/Arkansas just tipped off, and six minutes in, the Trojans better figure out a way to match the Razorbacks’ intensity. Arkansas definitely doesn’t look like a team just happy to be here after its improbable SEC Tournament run. Here’s to betting if USC can withstand the early adrenaline-fueled storm, the Trojans’ talent will take over and they’ll win.

Latest Bracket Challenge standing above. Newsflash: I still suck.

Oregon hangs on -- barely

And that, my friends, is why people who've got the Ducks going past the Sweet Sixteen should be very afraid for their brackets.

I mentioned earlier that Oregon was a one-trick pony that was vulnerabe if their 3-point shots weren't falling. I stand by that analysis after Miami of Ohio -- you know, the team that needed a banked 3-pointer at the buzzer of its conference tournament just to get into the Dance -- nearly sent the Ducks home in the biggest upset of the Tournament.

Oregon shot just 29 percent from 3-point range in the unfamiliar confines of the Spokane Arena, and should feel fortunate the committee put them up to a No. 3 seed after their Pac-10 Tournament championship. Had the Ducks been a lower seed and faced a tougher team, they'd be on their way back to Eugene.

The bottom line is this: When UCLA, Washington State or USC run into rough stretches, or find themselves in close games, they can rely on their defense to help win the game. When Oregon's offense goes into hybernation, the Ducks are in trouble. They allowed the RedHawks -- not exactly known as an offensive juggernaut -- to shoot 48 percent from the field and make a late run even after Oregon held a double-digit lead late. They simply cannot get defensive stops when they need them.

I've got Oregon going to the Sweet Sixteen, but today is precisely the reason I couldn't in good concience pick them to go further. But who knows? They get hot for another couple of games, and they could make me look stupid again.

Goodness knows I've been awful good at that lately. Just look at the latest Bracket Challenge standings through 1 1/2 rounds ...

Back in front of the TV ... finally!

That took a heck of a lot longer than it was supposed to, but it doesn't look like I missed a whole lot.

The higher seed won every game again this morning, and the only game that was even really close was UNLV's win over Georgia Tech. That now makes 15 games in the books, with 14 higher seeds winning.

Things are shaping up to be a little more interesting this afternoon, as Winthrop is trying to hang on against Notre Dame, and Wisconsin is getting inexplicably drubbed by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the first half.

I'll have some thoughts after those games end. In the meantime, here's to hoping the mildest Tournament in memory takes a dramatic turn today. I also included the Bracket Challenge standings -- looks like I need to pick it up!

HWTN Bracket Challenge UPDATE

Here are the latest standings in the Bracket Challenge, through 12 games. Remember, each game is worth one point here in the opening round:

1. Mike Larson - 11 points
2. Ryan Sadoski - 11
3. Dan Oldham - 10
4. Chris Cloke - 9
5. Jeff Nusser - 9
6. JoJo Roberts - 9

Been a bit of a tough day for The Nuss, as I've seen two of my Sweet Sixteens (Davidson, Duke) go down already ... but like everyone else, all my Final Four teams still are alive, so I'm still in good shape!

HWTN Bracket Challenge UPDATE

Here's a quick look at the Bracket Challenge standings with three games in the books this morning. Thanks to the five people who took me up on my challenge -- this should be fun!

(By the way, ever have one of those moments where you forget what you did on your bracket, thinking you got a game right that you actually got wrong? I had one of those this morning -- I actually had Davidson beating Maryland. DOH!)

1. Chris Cloke - 3 points
   Mike Larson
   Ryan Sadoski
2. Dan Oldham - 2 points
   Jeff Nusser
   JoJo Roberts

There's still time! Beat me in the HWTN Bracket Challenge! Plus: Take the field back down to 64, already

I threw down the gauntlet, and so far, apparently only a handful of people think they actually can beat me in my Hangin' With The Nuss Bracket Challenge.

What are you waiting for? Visit this CBS.Sportsline.com site, enter the password "thenuss" and fill out your bracket. (You'll need to create a Sportsline ID if you don't have one already.)

Go ahead. I'll wait. Just make sure to come back.
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OK, good. Now that you're back, let me ask you all a couple of questions:

First, raise your hand if you'd be heartbroken if Arkansas -- 21-13 overall, 7-9 in the SEC -- was left out of NCAA Tournament?

Anyone? Bueller?

Now, consider this: You've just won your conference tournament, and you're delirious. You're making a hard-earned trip to the NCAA Tournament that just wouldn't be possible otherwise, since you come from a small conference that only has ever gotten one bid to the Big Dance.

You're waiting on Selection Sunday with baited breath, knowing you're probably going to play some BCS conference heavyweight, but that's OK with you -- you're relishing the idea of trying to knock off one of the big boys.

The brackets are being unveiled ... you're holding your breath ... and ...

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'RE HEADING TO DAYTON, OHIO, FOR THE PLAY-IN GAME!

Oh, wait -- it's the opening round game. Sorry, NCAA. Don't put me on probation.

There literally is no bigger joke in college sports than the "opening round game" in the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament -- and that includes the current BCS football system.

A few years back, when the Mountain West Conference split away from the WAC, the NCAA made one of its worst decisions ever. (And that is REALLY saying something.) The NCAA wanted to give the MWC an automatic bid to the Tournament, but also wanted to maintain the 34 at-large bids.

So what did it do?

Give the MWC its automatic bid, and keep 34 at-large bids. But wait! That makes 65 teams! How best to handle that?

Screw the two "worst" teams in the tournament by making them play one more game before entering the field of 64. Ship them to Dayton, Ohio, for a farce of a game under the guise of the NCAA Tournament.

The NCAA insists that it be called the "opening round game," and counts the game in the official NCAA Tournament records. Defenders of the game claim that the participants are treated first class, that they get the national stage all to themselves for a night.

Here’s how special the game is, in reality.

CBS -- broadcaster of the NCAA Tournament for about forever -- fiercely guards its rights to the Tournament; it even kept ESPN from broadcasting live highlights for a time. Yet, CBS and the NCAA think so much of this “NCAA Tournament game” that it’s broadcast on cable, on ESPN, on a Tuesday night.

ESPN, in turn, thinks so much of the game that it sent the stellar broadcasting team of Terry Gannon and Steve Lavin to Ohio – no Dick Vitale, no Brent Musburger, no Brad Nessler, no Jay Bilas. They love Gannon so much at ESPN that he’s guy they usually send to the late-night Big Monday game that tips off at midnight on the East Coast. (They did send Erin Andrews, however, winning back a measure of respect from men everywhere.)

Speaking of Gannon and Lavin, they were so interested in the game that they spent the first 12 minutes of the first half talking about everything but the “NCAA Tournament game” taking place right in front of them. First, they talked for a few minutes about Syracuse getting snubbed, then talked about how dangerous Texas is. Then, just to prove that they weren’t just ad-libbing on their own, each broadcaster then went through their Final Four picks, complete with on-screen graphic.

That definitely sends the message that the game is important – the broadcasters didn’t even think enough of what was going on 50 feet from them to make it the No. 1 priority of the broadcast.

It’s time for the NCAA to right this inexcusable wrong. Just take away one at-large bid.

Really, we won’t miss Arkansas. I swear.

ARE YOU SMARTER THAN NUSS? Prove it in the HWTN Bracket Challenge!

So, you've been saying to yourself for months:

"Nusser, you're an idiot. You don't know a darn thing about college basketball. You're just a Cougar-lovin' suck face who's lucky he ever tricked anyone into giving him a real-live sportswriting job!"

Well, here's your chance to prove it!

Welcome to the first annual Hangin' With The Nuss Bracket Challenge, where you'll get to compete with me and other faithful blog readers head-to-head for bragging rights that last for the duration of one year. It costs you nothing of value, other than potentially your pride and self worth!

Here's how you join:

• Go to the bracket site here. (http://hwtn.mayhem.sportsline.com/e if you're the do-it-yourself type)
  
• Log in with your CBS.Sportsline.com user name, or sign up for one if you don't have one
• Enter the group password: thenuss

I'll routinely post updates and standings on the blog as the tournament moves along, giving you a chance to see how you stack up with me and everyone else.

It's that simple. Now the only question to be answered is ...

CAN YOU BEAT ME?

I doubt it.