When the disappointment of Maryland's 85-83 loss to Michigan State finally fades -- and it's definitely going to take awhile, because that was an absolute heartbreaker -- take a minute or two and raise a glass or tip your hat (or whatever is your custom) in honor of the unique and entertaining Terrapin career of Greivis Vasquez. 

Vasquez passed Len Bias on Sunday to become Maryland's 2nd all-time leading scorer behind Juan Dixon, but years from now, when we think about him, stats are never going to accurately paint a proper picture of what his career was like. He'll likely go down as one of the most interesting college athletes to ever pass through College Park, and if you followed his career, you likely ran the gamut of emotions. He was erratic and emotional, fabulous and frenetic, courageous and captivating, sometimes all in one game.

I'm not sure we'll ever see another player like him. It was only this season that we really got the chance to appreciate him, in part because it was only this season he really let us in.

I'm not sure anyone can ever understand how hard it must have been for him to enroll at Maryland with only a limited grasp of English in 2006. The pressures of college are hard enough without having to juggle athletics -- plus academics in a language that's not your own -- and think of what it must have been like at times for him. Thousands of miles from his home and his family, struggling at times to find his role in Maryland's program, only vaguely understanding the frequent criticism half the fan base is throwing at you.

Johnny Holliday told me once that Vasquez told him his parents listened to every Maryland basketball game over the Internet, and that they loved listening to Holliday's voice. Holliday thanked Vasquez for his kind words, but then thought about it for a second and asked Vasquez an obvious question: Greivis, if they don't understand any English, how do they follow what's going on?

Continue reading "NCAA Blogging -- Muchas Gracias, Greivis Vasquez" »

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 4:36 PM in 2010 NCAA tournament | Permalink | Comments (35)
        

Tenth-seeded St. Mary's just knocked off No. 2 seed Villanova 74-68 in the second round of the NCAA tournament, putting away a Wildcat team that should have been beaten by Robert Morris in Round 1.

The Gaels probably only made the tournament by beating Gonzaga in final of the West Coast Conference tournament, but they controlled the entire game against Villanova, and they made enough clutch shots to leave little doubt which team was better.

If that isn't further proof the Big East was overrated this year, it's at least proof that Villanova owed their high seed to the success of Syracuse and West Virginia, not actually based on their own resume. 

There has been a lot of talk lately about expanding the NCAA tournament to 96 teams, and you'll likely hear St. Mary's two victories used as evidence in favor of that expansion. Although St. Mary's earned an automatic bid, they really got in because Gonzaga had a resume of doing well in the tournament for more than a decade. (If the situations were reversed, I doubt St. Mary's gets an at-large bid.) I'm actually willing to listen to the argument that supports 96 teams if it means more teams like St. Mary's and Cornell would make the Big Dance, because their success is what makes the NCAA tournament the best event in sports. Nothing makes me smile like seeing a goofy point guard banking in 3-pointers late in the game when a higher seed is on the ropes and asking the refs to bail them out every time down the court.

But don't believe for a second that expansion is about giving the little guys a chance. The NCAA executives who want to expand the tournament are more interested in giving an at-large berth to the eighth team in the Big East or the seventh team in the ACC than they are throwing the West Coast Conference or the Ivy League an extra bone. There is simply too much money at stake for the major conferences, who have all the power and always will. It's the reason why we don't have a playoff in college football and are instead stuck with 30-plus bowl games. If the sixth team in the Pac-10 or the SEC or ACC gets to a bowl game, it protects the status quo. Coaches keep their job, alumni continue to make donations, and everyone is happy.

That's what the big schools want with basketball, not more opportunities to be embarrassed by little schools. Just remember that if someone uses the Gaels as an example of giving more small schools an opportunity to dance. That's almost certainly not the reason the proposal is being floated.

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 3:15 PM in 2010 NCAA tournament | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Maryland's 89-77 victory over Houston was satisfying for Terps fans for a lot of reasons, but the continued growth of freshman Jordan Williams might be the best of all of them. It's been obvious the second half of the season that Williams was blossoming into a special player, but he controlled the game Friday night, owning the paint by blocking shots, sucking up rebounds, and bulldozing his way through Houston's defense for 21 points.

He also grabbed 17 rebounds, and you can bet Michigan State coach Tom Izzo was watching this one with sweat on his brow, wondering how he's going to slow down a 6-foot-10, 260-pound freshman whose game keeps getting better. Watching Williams now and comparing him to the player who began this season is night and day. He knows how to get position, how to seal his man, and how to make a move with force and intent. He's also shown a willingness to help on defense and intimidate opponents' shots, something he wasn't doing earlier this season.

Mike Gminski said it best during the broadcast: It's clear that Williams has become the best big man the Terps have had since Lonny Baxter, and it's probably not even close. We sort of assumed that the Terps would only go as far as Greivis Vasquez would take them, but Friday night, Maryland ran Gary Williams' flex offense as well as they have all year. Everyone got involved, but it all started on the inside with Williams swallowing up anything that came his way.

This kid is special, and it's going to be fun to watch him develop over the next couple years. It's funny to look back and see he was the 99th-ranked player in the country coming out of high school. Think you could find 98 players you'd rather have than him right now?

Certainly not in the second round of the NCAA tournament, which is where Maryland is for the second consecutive season thanks to Williams. 

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 12:41 AM in 2010 NCAA tournament | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

For starters, that was a bummer of a break on the buzzer-beating 3-pointer. That shot probably goes in one time in 50, but it went in, and now Houston can go into the locker room with all kinds of good feelings despite the fact that they were outplayed pretty much the entire half.

Aubrey Coleman is a pretty impressive player, with a rainbow jump shot unlike any I've seen in a long time, but Maryland is in control of this game. They need to keep moving the ball and dumping it down to Jordan Williams. No one on Houston's team can match up with Williams effectively.

Greivis Vasquez played under control and got his teammates involved, and when Good Greivis shows up, Maryland is usually in pretty good shape. He can get his shot when he wants it, but getting Sean Mosley and Dino Gregory and Eric Hayes involved is helping. 

This game is in Maryland's hands. They just need to make someone other than Coleman beat them. (Easier said than done, since he apparently learned how to shoot by firing over a 18-foot tall tree in his front yard.) I don't know if Houston has another player who can step up if they slow Coleman down. Especially if Maryland starts boxing out on long misses. That's helping keep Houston in the game right now, long offensive rebounds.

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 11:22 PM in 2010 NCAA tournament | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Before tonight's first-round game between Maryland and Houston tips off, I think it's important to go back in time -- perhaps in our Hot Tub Time Machine! -- and remember where Maryland was a year ago prior to the 2009 ACC tournament. Just to put things into perspective. It's always a wise thing to do in sports, and to do it, we need to look back. Just for a second.

A year ago, before Maryland had secured a spot in the NCAAs, it felt, at least to some, like Maryland's program was in turmoil. The Terps had been blown out by 41 points in midseason by Duke, Greivis Vasquez had cursed out his own student section, recruiting had suffered some very public setbacks, Williams and the athletic department were engaged in a feud that was being waged mostly in the media, and various knuckleheads were calling for Williams to be fired. It was a tense time in College Park. I still contend the whole thing felt like a Shakespearean tragedy, where everyone was suspicious that someone was plotting against them.

Yet here we are a year later, with Maryland not only back in the tournament, but with a real chance to make it to the Sweet 16. Sure, the Terps have to win tonight against a sharp-shooting Houston squad, and then play like they did against Duke to beat (most likely) Michigan State, but it's certainly doable. In fact, anything short of that will probably be viewed as a disappointment.

It's not quite the return to the glory years of back-to-back Final Fours, but it's certainly better than three NITs in four years. I have to admit, I kind of enjoyed watching Gary Williams get a chance to thumb his nose at some of his critics this season. For all his perceived slights -- some real, some imagined -- and for all the criticism he gets for losing local recruits and not adapting to the modern game, he still knows how to win with a certain kind of player.

He and Greivis Vasquez are so much alike, I doubt they even realize the similarities. They're both emotional and stubborn and exciting and, at times, brilliant. In an era when coaches barely get to know a kid's name before he skips off to the NBA, watching them figure out one another over the past four years has been a pleasure. A year ago, a certain segment of the fanbase couldn't wait to be done with both of them. Now some of the same people don't want the journey to end just yet. Funny how sports works sometimes, isn't it?

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 7:01 PM in 2010 NCAA tournament | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

There really isn't a whole lot to add on Morgan State's loss. The Bears started strong, West Virginia started cold, and then Morgan State just got overwhelmed by the West Virginia size, depth and athleticism. If they played this game 100 times, West Virginia would probably win 98 of them. The Mountaineers are going to be tough to beat with their rebounding ability. 

But I think we shouldn't walk away from this contest without acknowledging one very nice moment for the Bears that happened with 30 seconds left. Todd Bozeman called a timeout, and took Reggie Holmes out of the game. Holmes, a senior, is Morgan State's all-time leading scorer, and when the two men met at the scorer's table, Holmes started to cry. And then Bozeman started to cry.

Holmes was one of the first kids to buy into what Bozeman was selling four years ago when he got this job. He's a shy kid, but a year ago, we sat in the stands and talked about his decision to enroll at Morgan, which wasn't easy. The kids he grew up playing against in his neighborhood thought Morgan State was a joke. There was almost more pride in not playing at all instead of playing for a school like Morgan State back then, but Holmes believed what Bozeman told him. He was a good player, but if he came to Morgan State, he could develop and become a great player. 

Bozeman and his coaching staff worked hour after hour, year after year, with Holmes, teaching him how to score off the dribble, how to not settle for 3-pointers, and how to play defense. It wasn't easy. As a freshman, Holmes simply jacked up 3-pointers and he was still Morgan's leading scorer. But Bozeman pushed him to be better, just like he did numerous other players. 

Holmes helped Bozeman redeem himself from a foolish scandal that took place years ago, one that took him years -- too long, really -- to earn a second chance from. And Bozeman helped Holmes go down as one of the best players in school history, while at the same time changing the perception of Morgan State. Whether Bozeman is coaching at the school or not next year, it's a place to be proud of. It's a school that gives kids opportunities to continue their career, gives them an education, and wins basketball games.

Life humbled Todd Bozeman, and he didn't run from his mistakes. He admitted them -- unlike so many who screw up -- and he also chose to reevaluate why he wanted to be a coach. He had a passion for mentoring kids, and at Morgan, he got that chance again. 

So those tears and that hug said a lot, even though, out loud, they said nothing at all. 

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 2:30 PM in 2010 NCAA tournament | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

1:15 p.m. -- So after Morgan State started the game on a 10-0 run, West Virginia outscored them 38-17 the rest of the half. Not a good sign. The Bears needed to slow this game down, and they got caught in transition too many times. (Part of that is missing shots though.) For the second straight year, Holmes did not start the game on fire, blowing my pre-game analysis out of the water. For the Bears to get back in this game, they need him to start hitting, but they also have to keep getting the ball to Dewayne Jackson, who is one of the few players out there who can shoot and doesn't seem intimidated. But to look at is realistically, West Virginia just rebounds the ball too well for Morgan to get back in this. They were one of the worst teams offensively in the Big East this year, but they kill you on the boards and wear you down. 

As Omar Little might say, you come at the king, you best not miss. And Morgan State started to miss midway through the first half. 

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 1:08 PM in 2010 NCAA tournament | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

12:20 p.m. -- Morgan jumps out to an early 10-0 lead, and West Virginia lives up to their reputation as a team that starts slow and can't shoot from the outside. Just a quick aside: I can't stand watching teams that can't actually make open jump shots and get most of their points by scrambling for rebounds and getting points in transition. West Virginia is totally one of those teams. They rebound, they rebound, they play great defense, and they win ugly. I know coaches love that kind of scrappy hustle, but it's no fun to watch.

Kevin Thompson looks really good inside for Morgan thus far. He isn't a great offensive player, but if he can block shots and rebound, Morgan can continue to scare the heck out of the Mountaineers. 

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 12:20 PM in 2010 NCAA tournament | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Before the embarrassing performance yesterday by the Big East, West Virginia was a trendy pick to make the Final Four -- Sports Illustrated has them in the final against Kansas -- and they still might be. Yesterday could simply be a case of the Big East not being as deep as everyone thinks, (although I still contend Villanova is one of the most overrated teams in the country.) But the

So do the guys from Morgan State have a chance against the Mountaineers? Probably not, but if Reggie Holmes gets hot early, I think they could make it interesting. Remember, this West Virginia team lost to Dayton in the first round of the NCAAs last year, and Bob Huggins' teams don't exactly have a history of going deep into the tournament.

Holmes is a unique player because he has a ridiculously quick release and a lot of the time he shoots the ball on his way up, which makes his shot almost impossible to block. Last year when Morgan State beat Maryland in College Park, it was Holmes five 3-pointers that did in the Terps, and he owned Greivis Vasquez (at least for a day) would simply couldn't guard the kid from Cherry Hill when it counted. I covered that game -- which everyone assumed would be an easy win for Maryland -- and watching Holmes backpedal up the court with his tongue hanging out after hitting what turned out to be the decisive points, a look of pure joy on his face, was one of my favorite sports memories of last year. This Bears' team is better than that one, and if they show up today, they could pull off an upset.

There is a good chance this is Todd Bozeman's last hurrah with Morgan State. And you can't blame him for that. He's done everything asked of him and more since getting hired three years ago. He deserves a shot at a mid-level job after what he's done reshaping what was one of the worst programs in the country four years ago. If John Calipari can have arguably the best coaching job in basketball even though his teams have had two Final Four appearances vacated, then Todd Bozeman deserves another chance to coach at an elite level.

But it would be a lot of fun to see him pull off one more big win before he passes the program to someone else.

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 11:26 AM in 2010 NCAA tournament | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Before I jot down some general thoughts about last night's games and how sorry the Big East looked yesterday, I thought we needed one more look at the jumper than Danero Thomas nailed to slay Vanderbilt. Eat it Commodores! 

Thursday had such an entertaining string of games, two of my friends openly pondered whether or not it was the best opening day ever of the NCAA Tournament. (We may have had a few beers at that point.) But still, were they wrong? I think they might have been right. It was certainly the best day I can remember in a long time. We already discussed the days games, but the night games were almost as good.

I didn't think Wake Forest even deserved to be in the tourney, and their game was one of the most exciting of the evening as they knocked off Texas 81-80 in overtime. Tennessee's win over San Diego State was no cakewalk, and New Mexico barely survived against my alma mater, the Montana Grizzlies.

We have to discuss the New Mexico/Montana game for a minute, if only because I'm still grumpy about it. I watched it in a bar with former Sun columnist Rick Maese, a New Mexico grad (assuming they actually hand out degrees at that podunk college, I can't really confirm) and so it was like a blood feud for three and half hours. Montana really could have won, but their leading scorer, Anthony Johnson, who was coming off a 42-point performance in the Big Sky Championship game, had three points and was 1-of-12 from the floor. Disgraceful. I still need to figure out a way to break it to my wife that I gambled away our daughter's college savings and that Maese holds the pink slip to my car, but so if you have any suggestions, leave them below. 

Can we talk about the embarrassment that is the Big East before today's games begin? I'm really tired of hearing every year that it's the best conference in the country, only to see it lay a collective egg in the tournament. Big East basketball is ugly basketball, and Georgetown and Notre Dame were U-G-L-Y, and sure didn't have no alibi yesterday. Villanova should have lost to Robert Morris, and probably would have if not for some generous calls from the referees. I'm tired of hearing Georgetown make excuses every year, and Big East apologists like Digger Phelps make excuses for the league. There is no way Notre Dame's Luke Harangody should have zero points two minute remaining against Old Dominion.

I know we're biased here in ACC Country, but it looked a lot more like the Big Least yesterday.

That said, I still don't see how Syracuse doesn't make the Final Four.

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 10:07 AM in 2010 NCAA tournament | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

5:30 p.m. -- I can't really get into any of the games right now, so decided to throw out a question, since I've seen the preview about 50 times today for the movie "Hot Tub Time Machine." If there was a hot tub capable of time travel -- and who are we to say such a thing isn't possible? -- what NCAA moments would you want to go back in time to see in person? You can't go back and change the outcome, because if that were possible, there would just be a traffic jam of people trying to go back and wipe that smirk of J.J. Redick's face. But you get a chance to witness history. What would you choose?

I think I'd have to go with as my top 3...

1. Michigan State vs. Indiana State, 1979 NCAA Championship: First off, Larry Bird meets my mustache requirements that I stated previously. Second, Magic Johnson is my favorite basketball player of all time. It's almost impossible to fathom how different basketball was back then. Not only did Indiana State make the final that year (and really when you think about it, we'll see another Michael Jordan before we ever see another Larry Bird in all likelihood) but Penn (!!!) made the Final Four that year. Penn. Think about that for a second.

2. UCLA vs. Memphis State, 1973 Championship: A lot of people make fun of Bill Walton because of his goofy post-playing career as an announcer, but I love the guy. I love that he managed to be an elite athlete and also an anti-establishment, counter-culture guy. And I'd give just about anything to see him go 21-for-22 in the championship game to win the Bruins' second consecutive title and wrap up their second straight undefeated season. A series of hook shots, spin moves, pirouettes and drop steps, that 44-point performance was a work of art.

3. Valparaiso vs. Old Miss, 1998 First Round: This is just one of those amazing moments that almost everyone remembers because it featured one of the most clutch shots (Bryce Drew) in tournament history, and one of the most clutch plays drawn up (Homer Drew, Bryce's dad) at the end of a game ever. Can you imagine seeing this one unfold? The final play is almost like a one-timed skip pass, or a hook and lateral. But Drew nails the 3-pointer on the run, and then does a sweet head first slide down the court. Perfect.

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 5:21 PM in 2010 NCAA tournament | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

4:45 p.m. -- The NCAA tournament just got its first real iconic moment with Murray State's Danero Thomas nailing a buzzer beater to send Vanderbilt back to preppy-ville. Man, I love buzzer beaters. It seems like they've been missing from the NCAA tournament in recent years. Thomas let it go with two guys in his face, and while the ball was in the air the horn sounded, meaning it was a true buzzer beater, not one of these weak ones where there is still time on the clock. It was also a make-or-go-home jumper and it came from a No. 13 seed. I'm ecstatic! A lot of people actually predicted this upset, seeing as this was actually Murray State's 31st victory, and I'll confess to being one of them. But I mostly did it because I loathe Vanderbilt for reasons I can't properly explain. (You know what you did, Jay Cutler!)

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 4:43 PM in 2010 NCAA tournament | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

4:15 p.m. -- Despite the fact that Murray State and Vanderbilt are locked in a second-half tie game with 2 minutes remaining, I'm stuck with Richmond and St. Mary's first-half action on my TV, which means it's time to break out March Madness On Demand for the first time, one of the greatest inventions since the wheel and the pint glass. It's pretty amazing that it took so many years to make this happen, and yet I'm still dazzled by it. By the time my kids are old enough to spend an entire day watching NCAA tournament action, I assume the streaming video will be beamed directly into their brains. I can remember in high school when you could barely get radio coverage of NCAA games, much less video.

This turns out to be the smartest thing I've done all day, other than finally taking a shower. Vanderbilt is down one point with 12 seconds to play, gets fouled and goes to the line, and I'm actually watching it unfold! Meanwhile, on my television, I'm seeing the 3,245th Southwest commercial on my TV. Technology! It may not enslave us after all!

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 3:55 PM in 2010 NCAA tournament | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

2:50 p.m. -- BYU's Jimmer Fredette just buried a 3-pointer that pretty much buried Florida in the second overtime. He now has 35 points, and looks kind of like J.J. Redick, except he can actually drive to the basket and go to his left. It's sick. Also, how awesome of a name is "Jimmer?" It's like his parents couldn't decide between naming him after Jimmy Chitwood from Hoosiers and River Phoenix, so they split the difference. In fact, the Orlando Sentinel informs me that one of the reasons Jimmer is such a stud is he hardened his game by planning PRISON BASKETBALL. I'm not kidding. Read about it here. He's like a character from HBO's Oz. But, you know, white and Mormon.

3:00 p.m. --  In case you missed it yesterday, the Maryland basketball team caused some minor controversy when Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer, the Democratic Majority Whip, introduced a resolution congratulating the Terps on making the NCAA tournament. It's the kind of pointless resolution that happens all the time in Congress (remember, YOU elect these goofs to waste time with this nonsense!) and usually sails right through. In case you haven't been paying attention, Republicans have pretty much decided they're going to say NO to everything Democrats do, which includes non-binding pointless resolutions, apparently. So they voted in mass against it, then used a story about Maryland's awful graduation rates (8 percent! We're No. 1!) to cause Hoyer some minor embarrassment.

All of this is more or less a way for me to back my way into a rant about how ridiculous I find the moralizing over collegiate athletics in general. Education secretary Arne Duncan, who I generally think is a pretty brilliant guy (seriously, read the recent New Yorker piece about him) threw out the idea that teams with low graduation rates be banned from the NCAA tournament. Forgive me, Arne, but this is just about the dumbest idea ever. The only reason these kids are even considered "student-athletes" anymore is because we keep repeating the myth to make ourselves feel better. They're employees of the university, and they're not exactly being paid market value considering the billions of dollars the NCAA and CBS are making off them. Plus, the way graduation rates are calculated is just ridiculous. If a guy goes to the NBA after two years, comes back and gets his degree five years after that, you don't get credit for him graduating?

Plus, why the heck does it make sense to punish the current team that qualifies for the NCAA tournament for alleged sins committed by previous players? Should Eric Hayes and Greivis Vasquez -- both of whom will graduate -- not get to play in the postseason because Nik Caner-Medley and John Gilchrist decided not to graduate? It's stupid. Never mind the NCAA and the NBA helped create this situation with their dumb rule about having to wait a year until you're "mature enough" to be drafted by NBA GMs who can't resist handing them ridiculous contracts. I wish we could blow the whole thing up and start over, or ditch this outdated romantic notion of "amateurism" entirely and accept it for what it is.

3:15 p.m -- Villanova finally escapes an upset from Robert Morris despite going to overtime. The Wildcats look like one of the weakest No. 2 seeds in years. CBS' Bill Raftery says of Robert Morris, "They only lost on the scoreboard." It's a good thing, too. Because I filled out my bracket based on who wins on the scoreboard, not who wins in my heart.

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 2:51 PM in 2010 NCAA tournament | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

2:30 p.m. -- Let's all wave goodbye to Luke Harangody and Notre Dame, who just got bounced by the Old Dominion Monarchs. Harangody, one of the country's best players, scored all of four points, including a final basket at the buzzer as time expired. Ouch. I hate to see a fellow Irishman get embarrassed like that. (Seriously, I really am Irish! Van Valkenburg is Dutch, but my blood is practically 80 percent Guinness.) On the bright side Luke, the trip back home should go smoothly if you're flying Southwest, because on Southwest, your bags fly free, at least according to a commercial I've already seen about 200 times.

2:40 p.m. -- With BYU and Florida entering overtime, I decide it's time to change out of my robe and into some real clothes. But first, I ask my wife if she thinks I should shower today. I'm feeling a little greasy.

"Do whatever you want, but your hair looks like you combed it with potato chips," she says. "Gross." 

You've got to love the NCAA tournament, people. 

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 2:25 PM in 2010 NCAA tournament | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

2:00 p.m. -- If I can be serious for a second, make sure you read the story written by my colleague Ken Murray today about Morgan State player Anthony Anderson, who is suffering from leukemia. Great stuff from Ken.

2:15 p.m. -- If I can be less serious for a second, you might also want to check out this story I wrote about Maryland guard Eric Hayes, who has had a solid, but not spectacular career at Maryland. One of the things I danced around in the story is the feeling that Hayes could have been a better player if he'd been more aggressive throughout his career, but growing up as a coach's son, he learned to defer in most instances because he didn't want people assuming he thought he could shoot whenever he wanted simply because his dad was the head coach. I don't know if playing with Greivis Vasquez also made him a little more passive -- since Greivis never met a shot he didn't like -- but when you look back at the stats, Hayes hasn't had a bad career by any means, even if he never came close to living up to the somewhat unfair comparisons to Steve Blake. 

2:20 p.m. -- Harangody just scored his first basket of the game. (I mistakenly thought he scored earlier.) Unreal. Old Dominion is leading by three points with 9.6 seconds left in the game. I don't want to second guess the NCAA selection committee, but was it really fair to make a bunch of Irish guys play on the day after St. Patrick's Day? 

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 1:58 PM in 2010 NCAA tournament | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

1:30 p.m. -- Robert Morris continues to give Villanova all they can handle. They're currently leading 28-19. My wife and I keep having a running debate about whether or not it's OK that our 3-month-old keeps turning her head toward the television while she's in her "Exersaucer." My feeling is, she clearly longs to be a jock, and this is just the first sign that she's going to be part of Connecticut's 2029 recruiting class. I contemplate e-mailing Geno Auriemma to see if he plans to coach that long, and if so, if he wants an early commitment. My wife's feeling is it will fry our daughter's brain. Who is to say who's right and who's wrong in this situation? This sounds like the kind of thing that we could discuss on "The Marriage Ref" if we were shameless reality-show opportunists like 90 percent of America. (Hey Kate Gosslin! Thanks for reading the blog!)

1:35 p.m. -- CBS just ran a commercial for The Masters that featured Larry Mize. Seriously, CBS? Let's stop ignoring the elephant in the room, OK? You've had two whole days to produce a Tiger Woods commercial. Are you telling me you couldn't have thrown together some shots of him walking up the fairway with a Jim Nantz voiceover saying, "He torched his marriage. Can he still torch the August field? The Masters on CBS!" Major promo FAIL, CBS. 

1:40 p.m. -- I really like Jay Bilas. In fact, I'd go so far as to say he's the most likable Duke graduate outside of Grant Hill. (Has anyone ever pointed out that he looks like the skinny older brother of Rob Riggle from The Daily Show? Because he does. And I think that makes me like him that much more.) How hard would it be to put together a list of Duke people you actually like? Everyone can put together a list of Duke grads they'd like to punch in the face. But I dare you to come up with five you actually like. Here is my best effort.

1. Grant Hill

2. Jay Bilas

3. Charlie Rose

4. Novelist Ann Tyler

5. Washington Post reporter Barry Svrluga, but only because I can regularly kick his tail at golf and his name is actually harder to pronounce than mine. If he ever decided to add a few vowels and get some lessons for his short game, I'd have to seriously consider swapping him out for Richard Nixon on this list. The man did open the door to China, after all. 

1:45 p.m. -- Notre Dame and Old Dominion keep trading the lead. Robert Morris is still up on Villanova. (Seriously, was Jay Wright under the impression that Robert Morris was just one guy instead of the name of a team?) Notre Dame forward Luke Harangody has two fouls and two points. Does anyone know if he's the illegitimate son of former Oklahoma State center Bryant "Big Country" Reeves? Because he reminds me a little of him.

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 1:16 PM in 2010 NCAA tournament | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

12:50 p.m. -- CBS cuts briefly to the BYU-Florida game, and I'm thrilled because I'm already over-Hansbrough-ed. (Although to his credit, he just drilled a 3-pointer.) I know it's not fair, but I can't watch BYU play without thinking about what a disaster this season of "Big Love" was. Seriously, has a good show ever veered so far off course so quickly? What used to be a show about the complexities of faith and family turned into Grey's Anatomy: Juniper Creek. I feel really bad for Ginnifer Goodwin, who might be the most adorable actress on television. But the fact that crazy polygamists were having their arms chopped off with an ax at the end of this season, and that Bill's family was able to ignore the fact that they have four infant kids running around who are never accounted for was simply too much. I never thought I'd say this, but the state of Utah deserves better.

1 p.m. -- Robert Morris is leading Villanova, despite the fact that Wright sat Scottie Reynolds for a total of four minutes. Fisher came in a minute later. This is sort of like your parents punishing you by making you miss the appetizer portion of dinner. Atta boy, Coach.

1:10 p.m. -- I forgot to mention that Old Dominion is coached by Blaine Taylor, who coached the University of Montana Grizzlies when I was in school there. He was seen as a pretty good guy, despite his Ron Jeremy-inspired mustache. I wish the mustache would come back in style, to be honest. Remember when Duke defeated Kentucky in that epic NCAA tournament game that's generally regarded as one of the best performances ever? One of the things I love the most about seeing those clips is Richie Farmer's mustache. How long has it been since we had a white guy sport a mustache in the NCAAs? (Adam Morrison doesn't count, since I've seen 7th graders with better lip coverage.) Bring back the stache!

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 12:48 PM in 2010 NCAA tournament | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Where for art thou, Tyler? CBS misses you and your nerdy mannerisms.

12:30 p.m -- We've already been switched to the Notre Dame vs. Old Dominion game, which makes sense because it wouldn't be NCAA tournament time if I didn't get trapped for several hours listening to Dick Enberg have trouble keeping players names straight.

12:35 p.m. -- My uncle just messaged our family to say he couldn't make his picks in our ESPN Tournament Challenge because ESPN wouldn't let him log in for two days. I sympathize because the exact same thing happened to me. I needed to try four different email addresses before it would finally let me register. I don't know what the deal is, ESPN. I swear I didn't look at those Erin Andrews pics that were floating around the web.

12:40 p.m. -- Ben Hansbrough scores on a layup for Notre Dame, and Enberg breathlessly informs us that he's the younger brother of Tyler Hansbrough, former Tar Heel. It must be kind of heartbreaking for CBS to broadcast a tournament without Tyler Hansbrough for the first time in four years. Having Ben Hansbrough take his place is kind of like when they tried to replace Bo and Luke Duke with Coy and Vance on the Dukes of Hazzard. It just isn't the same. Seriously, I wonder if they contemplated incorporating him into their regular programs. Hansbrough on "How I Met Your Mother" as a d-bag who steals Ted's girlfriend? Hansbrough replacing Charlie Sheen on "Two and A Half Men?" Hansbrough as a ghost who tries to hook up with Jennifer Love Hewitt on "The Ghost Whisperer?" Don't tell me Leslie Moonves hasn't consider this.

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 12:25 PM in 2010 NCAA tournament | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

12:15 p.m. -- We get word from CBS that Villanova coach Jay Wright has decided he's going to sit two of his starters in order to emphasize a "minor teaching point." Look, I like Wright, and if Gary Williams ever does decide to retire -- and I'm fairly convinced he'll be fist pumping at the students into his 80s -- I wouldn't mind seeing him considered for the Maryland job. There have always been rumors that Maryland would be interested. But it always makes me laugh when coaches sit players down for the first five minutes of a game as punishment for "rules violations." Seriously, coach? You're going to sit me for five minutes, or until we get down by eight points? Well in that case, I apologize for beating up an entire party of frat guys.

12:20 p.m. -- Here in Maryland, it seems the local CBS feed is giving us Florida vs. BYU. Remember when Billy Donovan completely torpedoed his program after winning two national championships because he got cold feet about coaching the Orlando Magic? I wouldn't want to live in Orlando either, especially if I looked like Eddie Munster. Seriously, you'd spend half your meals in restaurants explaining that you weren't part of some sort of Munsters variety show as Disney World. 

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 11:54 AM in 2010 NCAA tournament | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Greetings, fellow sports fans and gambling addicts! I'm Kevin Van Valkenburg, and once a year, The Sun actually pays my salary while I spend two straight days blogging about the opening rounds of the NCAA tournament in my bathrobe while my wife looks on with considerable scorn.

Isn't America a great country?

Today really is one of the greatest days in all of sports. It's one of the rare times in our culture when we openly embrace sports wagering and celebrate it with office pools all across the country, despite the fact that it's essentially a billion-dollar illegal enterprise. Heck, even our President fills out a bracket, despite the fact that he can't spell Syracuse. (Seriously, I hope Robert Gibbs doesn't have to take the fall for that one. I like that guy.) I'm not sure anything brings us together as a country like wide-scale gambling on the NCAA basketball tournament. Once again, let's take a moment to congratulate the cronies who run the BCS for depriving us of a similar opportunity during football season in the name of preserving the glorious tradition of the Poulan Weedeater Bowl and the Outback Steakhouse Bowl.

Anyway, I'll be blogging all day and into the night in this spot, attempting to teach my 3-month-old daughter the proper meaning of Cinderella.

You see, Sweetheart, Cinderella isn't a princess who leaves behind her glass slipper after a make-out session with a gross boy. She's a mid-major basketball team with a crafty point guard who just won Daddy $50 with that jumper in Jon Scheyer's face!

I'll be blogging in the style of a running diary, complete with time stamps and lots of bad jokes, so check back every half hour or so for new updates and recycled jokes. And remember, I'm technically on the clock, so as far as you (and my editors) know, I'm blogging completely sober. 

Here is to the American dream! 

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 11:21 AM in 2010 NCAA tournament | Permalink | Comments (1)