2022-23 Around the NCAA

up7587 wrote:Remember Deng Dut, the JC player from Australia via Idaho who was coming to UP?  He ended up going to Wyoming, and in 2021-22 he appeared in 12 games, made 2 of 20 shots, and played 89 minutes.  He then transferred to Southern Utah, where this year he appeared in 7 games, made 2 of 14 shots, and played 70 minutes.

Yes, a kid's basketball dreams soundly deflated by the selfish collusion of the Wyoming and Southern Idaho coaches.

I think he still has a Covid year coming to finish his career on a strong note...

Today UCLA handled Colorado, and Oregon held off a late rally by Wazzu.

San Diego St. won a close one against Colorado St., and San Jose St. upset Nevada in OT.

Seattle U. lost to Grand Canyon, in a matchup of potential WCC expansion prospects.

up7587 wrote:In the MWC tourney, Marcus Shaver and Boise St. meet UNLV. BSU tied for 2nd in league with Utah St. after they lost their last game to USU.  Tonight they'll play as the #2 seed in the Thomas and Mack Center, which give a home court advantage to UNLV.

It took overtime, but Marcus led BSU to a win.

BSU lost to Utah St. in the MWC semis.

With (NET) #7 GU and #11 SMC going to the Big Dance, where does that leave the rest of the WCC teams?

One will, and three might go to the NIT:

#84 SCU has got to be in.
#85 BYU (yes, they are still considered a member of the WCC) is likely in.
#107 LMU might be in.
#109 USF also has a chance but might end up in the CBI instead.

These teams are looking forward to next season:

#164 UP
#190 UOP
#201 PU
#230 USD

Lots of fun, exciting, and close games tonight in the NCAA First Four and the NIT, but it was great to see Shantay's successor at EWU, David Riley, and his Eagles beat the WSU Cougars in Pullman.

Riley, the Big Sky Coach of the Year, is probably paid about 10% of what Kyle Smith makes in Pullman, but it's pretty obvious the folks in Cheney are getting their money's worth.

SCU is at home against Sam Houston St. tomorrow.

EWU's win was a revenge game; they lost to WSU in the Spokane arena back in November 82-56. WSU had less than 1,900 tickets sold for the home game loss.

Liberty got a home game and defeated Villanova in another NIT 1st round game.

Rutgers was the highest rated KenPom team to not get into the NCAA Tournament, and a popular pick as a team that got snubbed. Guess they read their press clippings, because they lost a home game to mid-major Hofstra.

SCU, after losing their first game in Vegas, hosted an NIT game against Sam Houston St., and lost 58-56.

When Oregon lost to UC Irvine back in early November, the Anteaters shot 12-28 from 3P range, and the Ducks shot 4-21 in the Anteater victory in Eugene. In the NIT UCI returend to Eugene, and the tables were reversed. UCI shot 4-23 and UO shot 12-28 in a 13 point Duck victory.

UCF blew out the Florida Gators 67-49 in Gainsville. A bad game for Todd Golden's crew.

Clemson was 15-2 at home this year, but Morehead St. (only 8-8 on the road) came in and beat them 68-64.

Utah Valley went to The Pit in Albuquerque and beat New Mexico 83-69.

In an NCAA First Four game, ASU jumped on Nevada early, and rolled to a 25 point victory, 98-73.

up7587 wrote:In an NCAA First Four game, ASU jumped on Nevada early, and rolled to a 25 point victory, 98-73.

The Mountain West Conference is now 7-23 in the NCAA Tournament over the last decade...0-10 since 2019.

But somehow, the MWC has three more teams in the Tournament...SDSU, Utah St., and Boise St.

I guess Gloria has a lot more influence now than she did in the WCC...

DoubleDipper wrote:

I guess Gloria has a lot more influence now than she did in the WCC...

What a shock.

P5’s get 60% representation on every committee.

#3 Xavier dodged a loss to #14 Kennesaw St. KSU missed a shot late, and DD's old buddy Souley Boum clinched it with free throws.

How does Boum still have eligibility? He started at USF in 2017.

up7587 wrote:How does Boum still have eligibility? He started at USF in 2017.

Redshirt year at UTEP + extra covid year/grad transfer at Xavier

SMC held VCU to 20 points under their scoring average, and advanced to the second round, 63-51. Mahaney struggled, shooting 0-5 and was held scoreless. Bennett only played two subs, but Marciulionis got all 13 bench points for the Gaels, enough to win.

Fairleigh Dickinson not only was a #16 seed, they shouldn't have even been in the tournament. They are the shortest team in D-1 ranked by average height. They did not win their conference, which was the lowest rated conference per KenPom. They were 300+ in KenPom before the tournament. They lost their conference tournament championship game, but got an automatic bid because the regular season and tournament champion, Merrimack, is still in their four-year transition period to D-1 and the NCAA won't let them in. Then FDU had to win a play-in game on Wednesday to get into the first round. Crazy.

The Michigan St. team that "lost"* at Chiles advanced to the Sweet 16 knocking out the #2 seed Marquette.



*should have

In WCC team action, #5 seed SMC lost to #4 seed UConn 70-55. The Gaels had a long scoring drought and UConn outrebounded them 31-22. Gaels only made 4-14 3P shots, and were 39% overall. UConn disrupted their efficient offense and pulled away.

GU trailed TCU most of the first half and was down 5 at halftime, but took the lead after 4 minutes of the second half. They never trailed again. Of interest to some, they were a 4.5 to 5 point favorite, and led by 4 points when TCU fouled with 0.7 left. Sallis made both FTs to go up 6. TCU rolled the ball past halfcourt on the inbounds while GU stood watching, picked it up and buried a 30' shot as the buzzer went off, giving a bad beat to all the Zag bettors just after they thought they'd gotten lucky.

Half of the Sweet 16 teams play today. Three higher seeds have made it into today's games: #7 Michigan St., #8 Arkansas, and #9 Florida Atlantic.

Tomorow there are four higher seeds still playing: #5 San Diego St., #5 Miami, #6 Creighton, and #15 Princeton.

The only #1 seeds left are Alabama and Houston. UCLA and Texas are teh only #2 seeds left.

up7587 wrote:The only #1 seeds left are Alabama and Houston.  UCLA and Texas are the only #2 seeds left.

It's hard for me to believe, but today when GU and UCLA play, it will be the 17th-year anniversary of the Bruins beating Adam Morrison and company in the Sweet 16 round of the 2006 NCAA tournament.

But it was just two years ago that Gonzaga eliminated UCLA in the Final Four after Jalen Suggs buried a game-winning triple at the buzzer.

Remember Joey Calcaterra, a 3P specialist at USD for 4 years? He transferred to UConn, where he is helping them on their run to the Final Four.

up7587 wrote:Remember Joey Calcaterra, a 3P specialist at USD for 4 years?  He transferred to UConn, where he is helping them on their run to the Final Four.

This has to be fake news, I distinctly remember Joey Calcaterra’s career ending at the hands of the Pilots one day last year in Vegas.

Markquis Nowell is amazing.

The power of the portal?  Kansas St. just made the Elite 8.  Eight players played today, and seven of them transferred to KSU in the last two years.  The eighth came from JC.

up7587 wrote:Markquis Nowell is amazing.

That is putting it mildly...

Perhaps it's because I was rooting for K. St., but I don't recall a more exciting game in quite some time!

And Nowell on that bad ankle getting something like 19 assists (a Tournament record), 20 points, and the steal to seal the game...

K-State bumped out by Florida Atlantic. The Owls may be a #9 seed, but they are 35-3 on the season. They lost their 2nd game of the year at Ole Miss, lost two conference road games, then beat both those teams in their conference tournament. KenPom has them #17. In the tournament they beat #8 Memphis by a point. Normally they would have played #1 Purdue, but beat Fairleigh Dickinson instead. Now they've beaten #4 Tennessee and #3 K-State.

There were two double doubles in that game, from the biggest and the littlest players. 5'8" (maybe) Nowell had 30 pts and 12 assists. FAU's 7'1" Russian center Vlad Goldin had 14 pts and 13 rebounds.