Please, do not let Duke or Notre Dame to win the NCAA Tournament. That's all I ask.
SWEET 16 SET. Folks, it's getting real out in these frosty streets. After a crazy opening weekend of bricked open three-pointers and electrifying game-winning shots... the action is paused until Thursday, which at this point, might as well be the year 2036.
If we do make it to Thursday (fingers crossed), here's what we're looking at:
| WICHITA STATE (30-4) vs. NOTRE DAME (31-5) | 7:15 p.m. |
| WISCONSIN (33-3) vs. NORTH CAROLINA (26-11) | 7:47 p.m. |
| KENTUCKY (36-0) vs. WEST VIRGINIA (29-6) | 9:45 p.m. |
| ARIZONA (33-3 vs. XAVIER (23-13) | 10:17 p.m. |
| UCLA (22-13) vs. GONZAGA (34-2) | 7:15 p.m. |
| N.C. STATE (22-13) vs. LOUISVILLE (26-8) | 7:37 p.m. |
| DUKE (31-4) vs. UTAH (26-8) | 9:45 p.m. |
| MICHIGAN STATE (25-11) vs. OKLAHOMA (24-10) | 10:07 p.m. |
I figure Kentucky vs. West Virginia will be Sweet 16's Main Event, but I'm salty Huggy Bear and Coach Cal must clash this early in the tournament.
It's a dream of mine that one day they meet in the championship. The tears of the national punditry would be hilarious.
Fantasies aside, this is, without a doubt, the Sweet 16 game with the highest chance of a fan brawl ending with somebody getting stabbed by a Civil War-era bayonet.
Two ridiculously rowdy WVU fans behind press row just tossed.
— Patrick Maks (@maksimuspatrick) March 23, 2015
In the end, I still think it's Kentucky's tournament to lose.
ALL WRESTLEBUCKS CONTRIBUTED TO THE NASH. As anybody who has ever played on a championship team — ask me about my sweet 7th grade basketball trophy — every member of the team contributes in their own way.
Promise you when Logan won that Nash his first thought was of Kosta
— Mike (@mike63bennett) March 22, 2015
From Todd Jones of Dispatch.com:
The cohesiveness was best exemplified by Stieber’s brother, Hunter, a redshirt junior who competed in this NCAA tournament despite severe pain from two elbow injuries. He basically wrestled without full use of his arms.
Hunter Stieber — limited to three matches in the regular season and four in the Big Ten tournament — lost his two NCAA matches, but he provided inspiration.
[...]
Ryan said Hunter Stieber will undergo ligament-replacement surgery on each of his elbows in the next month. He expects the two-time All-American to be ready by September.
I might be projecting myself onto other people here, but I feel like sports fans tend to take medical procedures for granted.
Stieber is getting ligaments replaced in both elbows next month and will be ready by September. That's insane. If that happened to me I'd take a medical hardship waiver and a Percocet subscription. (Yeah, that's right, I typed subscription; I would want them mailed to my house.)
WHAT'S NEXT FOR BASKETBUCKS? I agree with old friend of the site Luke Zimmerman's take: Flawed as the 2014-15 team was, I'd much rather watch that team than the 2013-2014 one.
But as much as I enjoyed watching D'Angelo Russell, I already like next year's team better than this year's team. (Does this make me a bad fan?)
From Jeff Rapp of SportsRappUp.com:
Freshman A.J. Harris would be thrust right into top point guard duty and another newcomer, Austin Grandstaff, likely would need to play key minutes even with Kam Williams returning to the backcourt. It’s possible Matta would even consider using 6-7 Mickey Mitchell, yet another incoming freshman, in a point forward role.
However, there is a backup plan. Provided that JaQuan Lyle signs with OSU next month as expected, he can pick up much of the load. Lyle already is 6-5 and 215 pounds, and while he isn’t the smooth operator Russell is he is a willing passer and has some takeover ability. Plus, Lyle is strong and able to finish in the lane, which certainly would soften the loss of the lefty.
[...]
The front line also would have to endure lots of changeover but would still include Jae’Sean Tate and, unless there are weird offseason development, one would presume that Marc Loving would return re-committed to the program and ready to become a reliable performer and top scoring option. Also, there is now good reason to believe Keita Bates-Diop can become a consistent scoring option and helpful defender going forward.
I love Thad Matta, but I do think player development is a valid critique. And while Matta will be employed as long as he wants at OSU (rightfully so), I'm hoping to see better results with 2015's freshmen class than the departing seniors. It's also an issue that extends beyond just the senior class.
For me, getting Marc Loving's game back on track would be a good way to silence the critics. The Bucks need him to fill the sudden leadership vacuum.
SAVES RECORD. Congrats an OSU senior sphere-chucker:
And there's the saves record! No. 30 for @TraceDempsey_21. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/bV8QvHjRc7
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioState_BASE) March 22, 2015
EVERYBODY LOVES ELI. Ohio State football resumes spring practice tomorrow, and that Eli Apple... he's so hot right now.
From Steve Helwagen of OhioState.247sports.com:
Apple said he wants to become a leader on the defense and help whoever wins that job to make a smooth transition. He is joined by a pair of returning starters at safety in juniors Vonn Bell and Tyvis Powell.
“There will be a lot of experienced guys in the secondary,” he said. “Everybody but Doran will be back. I am just going to try and take a leadership role.”
[...]
“You are always looking for improvement,” said OSU cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs. “From where he was with his health situation and where he was last January to where he is now, he’s done a terrific job.”
Urban Meyer's staff can't be accused of not developing talent:
#ThatsReal RT @BuckeyesNews: @DLeeMG8 and @CJ12_ were both 3star recruits. Now, they're superstars. #OSUDevelopment pic.twitter.com/gzGmW6J5qr
— Zach Sith #Zone6 (@CoachZachSmith) March 22, 2015
THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS TO NICK VANNETT. Like 98% of those who experienced college: It was a decidedly good time in my life. There are many things I miss about it, but the professors who acted like they were reinventing the wheel in their classes is not one of them:
Can't tell you how ecstatic I am to have a midterm on the first day back from spring break at 8 am! Thanks for looking out, professor!
— Nick Vannett (@N_Vannett81) March 23, 2015
At least back in my day caffeinated FourLoko was a choice.
THOSE WMDs? Dad escorts son and friends to their first trip to Ibiza... Mind blown: The Big Show played center for Wichita State in the early 1990s... Via @WriteMyWrong: Dad spends $100k to build a Lego Jurassic Park... Amazing: Notorious B.I.G.'s "Hypnotize" synced with Dinosaurs... The 15 Most Hilariously Violent College Football Fight Songs.
