Please make sure after reading this to check my previous post below on a big development in the CAA coaching ranks.
It wasn't a good day picks wise for me. After a stellar Friday night evening session, I went only 4-4. After watching Duke barely beat Belmont, I had a feeling that West Virginia would beat Duke. They just pounded the Blue Devils on the boards, outrebounding Duke by a whopping 45-19. Joe Alexander had 22 points and 11 rebounds and Joe Mazzula had 13 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists for the Mountaineers. West Virginia now faces Xavier in the Sweet Sixteen.
Trevon Hughes scored 25 points, more than double his season average, as Wisconsin shot 52 percent from the field downing Kansas State 72-55. Michael Beasley and Bill Walker combined for 41 points on 15 of 30 shooting from the field, but the their teammates were held by the Badgers to 6 of 23 from the field.
Purdue did its best to hang with Xavier, but the Musketeers balance was too much for the Boilermakers as CJ Anderson and Drew Lavender each had 18 points to lead Xavier over Purdue 85-78. Xavier shot 54 percent from the field and went 26-33 from the line. Here is the amazing thing about Purdue. Their entire starting five, which consists of two freshmen, two sophomores, and a junior returns next year. The Boilermakers will be good for the next several years.
Washington State' smothering defense held Notre Dame to 24.6 percent shooting as the Cougars hammered the Fighting Irish 61-41. Big East player of the year, Luke Harangody, who averages shooting 50 percent from the field, was held to 3 of 17 shooting in the game. The Fighting Irish were held to about 39 points under their season average by the stingy Cougars.
In the best game of the day, Marquette did everything it could against Stanford, including outrebounding the much taller Cardinal, but in the end, it was too much Brook Lopez. Lopez had 30 points, including the game winning basket with 1.3 seconds leading the Cardinal over the Golden Eagles 82-81. Stanford coach Trent Johnson was ejected in the first half of the game for stepping onto the court before time had been officially called after his first technical foul. Johnson admitted later he was out of line. There was a major disparity in the free throw attempts as Marquette had only 12 compared to Stanford's 28.
Kansas showed the country how well they can play defense as the Jayhawks held UNLV to 26 percent shooting from the field and pulled away from the pesky Runnin Rebels in the second half, winning 75-56. The Jayhawks also shot 58 percent from the field, led by Mario Chalmers with 17 points. The Rebels kept the score as close as it was by shooting 27 of 34 from the foul line.
Michigan State outplayed Pitt at its own game as the Spartans downed the Panthers 65-54. The Spartans held the Panthers to 32 percent shooting and outrebounded the Panthers 32-20. Pitt had no answer for Spartan guards Drew Neitzel and Kalin Lucas who combined for 40 points. Lucas repeatedly drove by the Panthers guards who could not keep up with the freshman's quick drives. And if it wasn't Lucas driving by them, it was Neitzel burying one of his six threes. Pitt stayed in the game by shooting 18 of 19 from the foul line. Levance Fields led the Panthers with 19 points.
Finally, in the second most exciting game, despite being outplayed for most of the game by an inspired Texas A&M team, UCLA managed to comeback and beat the Aggies 53-49. Kevin Love and Drew Collison, combined for 40 of the Bruins 50 points and made huge baskets at the end. The Bruins were down as many as 10 points in the second half 36-26 as Texas A&M' Josh Carter scored the first five points of the second half. However, UCLA chipped away at the lead cutting it to 44-43 with 5:25 left. The next two minutes were crucial in that the Aggies had a chance to extend the lead but missed on three of four free throw attempts and were only up 45-43 with 3:20 left. Kevin Love then hit two turnaround jumpers to put the Bruins up 47-45. The Aggies would tie the game up at 47, then again at 49, until Collison hit his second layup in a row to put the Bruins up two, 51-49. Then the Bruins' Josh Shipp blocked Donald Sloan's shot attempt and Russell Westbrook picked up the loose ball and ended the game with an emphatic jam.
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