Official March Madness Thread

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Round 2: Powerhouses

Some top-seeded teams play Thursday. But experience may count for more: Valparaiso boasts the most experience in the tourney, with 6 seniors and 3 juniors on its roster. Michigan has the least, with 5 of its 6 freshmen playing significant minutes.

Mar 21, 12:15 pm ET Michigan State (3) v Valparaiso (14)

Mar 21, 12:40 pm ET Butler (6) v Bucknell (11)

Mar 21, 1:40 pm ET Pittsburgh (8) v Wichita State (9)

Mar 21, 2:10 pm ET Saint Louis (4) v New Mexico State (13)

Mar 21, 2:45 pm ET Memphis (6) v Saint Mary's (11)

http://www.cbssports.com/images/coll...ports-2013.pdf

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http://www.ncaa.com/march-madness

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A viewer’s guide to Friday’s NCAA tournament first-round games


By Alex Prewitt, Updated: March 22, 2013

Good morning from the NCAA tournament’s second full day, with another 16-game slate on tap.

Duke looks to avenge its first-round disaster last season in another No. 2-No. 15 game, this time taking on America East champion Albany at 12:15. A host of competitive matchups follow, capped off at 9:57 p.m. in Austin with No. 6 UCLA facing No. 11 Minnesota. Here’s your one-stop shop for breaking down the day’s best matchups, potential upsets and players who could take center stage.

Here are some of today’s highlights:

MUST-SEE GAMES

East: No. 8 North Carolina State vs. No. 9 Temple in Dayton, Ohio, 1:40 p.m. (TBS)

The Wolfpack made a deep NCAA tournament run last season as the No. 11 seed, reeling off wins over San Diego State and Georgetown before falling to Kansas in the Sweet 16. But Coach Mark Gottfried’s group has mostly underwhelmed this season despite the being odds-on preseason favorite to win the ACC. Temple, meanwhile, has baffled plenty all season, with solid wins over Syracuse, VCU and Saint Louis but losses to Duquesne, Canisuis and Saint Bonaventure. The Owls had put things together down the stretch, winning seven straight before falling to Massachusetts in the Atlantic 10 tournament.

West: No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 Ole Miss in Kansas City, 12:40 p.m. (TruTV)

It’s the Marshall Henderson show taking on a trendy mid-level seed in Wisconsin. The Rebels are surging of late behind the boisterous and equally hot-shooting Henderson, who dropped 27, 23 and 21 points during a three-game burst through the SEC tournament. The Badgers, meanwhile, reached the Big Ten title game and dealt Indiana its worst loss of the season along the way. This could shape up into an early-afternoon treat.


South: No. 8 North Carolina vs. No. 9 Villanova in Kansas City, 7:20 p.m. (TNT)

Ever since switching to a four-guard lineup after consecutive losses to Duke and Miami, the Tar Heels have been rejuvenated, reaching the ACC title game behind the hot shooting of swingmen Reggie Bullock and P.J. Hairston. Since Jan. 26, Coach Roy Williams’s squad has lost just four times – twice to the Blue Devils and twice to the Hurricanes. This game’s location has some added intrigue. If North Carolina wins, Williams will likely face top-seeded Kansas, his former team.

South: No. 6 UCLA vs. No. 11 Minnesota in Austin, 9:57 (TruTV)

Minnesota opened the season 15-1 with wins over Michigan State, Memphis and Illinois, but endured two two-game losing streaks, one three-game losing streak and one four-game losing streak since. Still, the Gophers are a talented bunch, capable of matchup well against UCLA and freshman phenomenon Shabazz Muhammad. This game has somewhat of a ghastly feeling around it, however. Both Tubby Smith (Minnesota) and Ben Howland (UCLA) have been on the hot seat recently. An early exit could doom either one.

UPSET ALERT

West: No. 4 Kansas State vs. No. 13 La Salle in Kansas City, 3:10 p.m. (TruTV)

A day with three 2-15 games and two 1-16 games isn’t likely to contain many stunning upsets. But if you want a potential sleeper, look no further than La Salle, which dispatched Boise State in Wednesday’s play-in game. Three Explorers guards form one of the nation’s best back courts, led by senior Ramon Galloway (17.1 points per game) and Tyrone Garland (13.1 points per game), a Virginia Tech transfer.

South: No. 3 Florida vs. No. 14 Northwestern State, 7:27 p.m. (TruTV)

If, somehow, Northwestern State can keep things close, the Gators might be in trouble. Florida enters with a dreadful track record in close games (0-6 when decided by single digits). Plus, its adjusted defense, which ranks second nationally according to Kenpom.com, will face a high-scoring Northwestern State team fresh off a Southland Conference title game win over Stephen F. Austin, which ranks 10th in that category.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Guard Marshall Henderson, Ole Miss, Jr.

just had to say …. 10 IN A ROW IN PONG!! WHO WANTS TO SEE US?!?!

— marshall henderson (@NativeFlash22) March 18, 2013

Forward Doug McDermott, Creighton, Jr.

The nation’s second-leading scorer behind Virginia Tech’s Erick Green, McDermott (23.1 ppg) will be Creighton’s workhorse throughout the tournament, especially if the No. 7 Bluejays hope to sprint past No. 10 Cincinnati and onto the second round, where the winner of Duke-Albany awaits. The coach’s son, McDermott is averaging 27 points over his past five games, including a 41-point performance against Wichita State on March 2.

MUCH, MUCH MORE FROM THE NCAA TOURNAMENT

Obama doesn’t like Notre Dame’s uniforms…so he’s getting one

Butler survives late surge, improves to 12-4 under Stevens in the tournament

Wichita State wins an ugly one over Pittsburgh

Bog: Why this isn’t the best sporting day of the year

JMU’s Brady thriving despite uncertain future | Brady’s rap

Interactive bracket and NCAA tournament history database

The Bracket Challenge contest (Round-by-round)

GO TEMPLE! GO LA SALLE! GO VILLANOVA!

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Saturday's Games

VCU vs MICH
12:15 P.M.
CBS

MEM vs MICHST
2:45 P.M.
CBS

CO ST vs LOUIS
5:15 P.M.
CBS

HARV vs ARIZ
6:10 P.M.
TNT

OREGON vs SLU
7:10 P.M.
TBS

BUTLER vs MARQ
07:45 P.M.
CBS

WICHST vs GONZ
8:40 P.M.
TNT

CAL vs SYR
9:40 P.M.

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THIRD ROUND GAMES
SUNDAY, MARCH 24 (Noon-Midnight ET)

12:15 p.m.
CBS
Dayton I
Iowa State vs. Ohio State
Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg/Tracy Wolfson

Mark Wolff/Bob Fishman
After conc. I
CBS
Dayton II
Temple vs. Indiana
Nantz/Kellogg//Wolfson

Wolff/Fishman
5:15 p.m.
CBS
Kansas City I
North Carolina vs. Kansas
Marv Albert/Steve Kerr//Craig Sager

Scott Cockerill/Lonnie Dale
6:10 p.m.
TNT
Austin I
Minnesota vs. Florida
Tim Brando/Mike Gminski//Otis Livingston

Vic Frank/Mark Grant
7:10 pm
TBS
Philadelphia I
Florida Gulf Coast vs.
San Diego State
Kevin Harlan/Len Elmore/Reggie Miller//Lewis Johnson

Steve Scheer/Mike Arnold
7:40 p.m.
truTV
Kansas City II
La Salle vs. Ole Miss
Albert/Kerr//Sager

Cockerill/Dale
After conc. I
TNT
Austin II
Illinois vs. Miami
Brando/Gminski//Livingston

Frank/Grant
After conc. I
TBS
Philadelphia II
Creighton vs. Duke
Harlan/Elmore/Miller//Johnson

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NCAA Tournament: Ranking the Sweet 16

Marquette at Miami (FL)

7:15 PM ET

Marquette
25-8

Miami (FL)
29-6

Verizon Center - Washington, D.C.

Marquette-Miami Preview

Jim Larranaga smiled and raised both hands to acknowledge the fans in green - those from both Miami and George Mason - as he walked onto the court where he become part of a national sensation seven years ago. He signed autographs, posed for pictures and was about to turn his attention to practice when he spotted two special people: Lamar Butler and Tony Skinn, starters from the 2006 GMU team. Larranaga hugged them both and reminisced about ''you guys...
Full Story

Arizona at Ohio State

7:47 PM ET

Arizona
27-7

Ohio State
28-7

Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

Arizona-Ohio St. Preview

Ever since Thad Matta and Sean Miller shared a tiny office at Miami of Ohio nearly two decades ago, the coaches' friendship has survived job changes, practical jokes and a few hundred bucks in unpaid lunch tabs. They've worked together and recruited against each other. They've shared scouting tips and sought job advice. They even briefly lived under the same roof with their entire families. ''I wouldn't be here today without him,'' Miller said Wednesd...
Full Story

Syracuse at Indiana

9:45 PM ET

Syracuse
28-9

Indiana
29-6

Verizon Center - Washington, D.C.

Syracuse-Indiana Preview

Yelps of support and echoing applause greeted the voice booming over the loudspeakers Wednesday at the scheduled start of practice for the East Regional's fourth seed: ''Coached by Jim Boeheim, please welcome the Syracuse Orange!'' And ... nothing. No sign of Boeheim or any of his players. Not until 6 1/2 minutes later did they finally make their way onto the court they'll return to Thursday night to face No. 1 seed Indiana in the NCAA tournament's...
Full Story

La Salle at Wichita State

10:17 PM ET

La Salle
24-9

Wichita State
28-8

Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

La Salle-Wichita St. Preview

Wichita State and La Salle busted a few brackets with their early wins in the NCAA tournament. Now they're in the final 16 and playing a short drive from Hollywood. Just don't script their matchup as a meeting of underdogs. These guys think they've got a lot of credibility, even if large chunks of the country didn't pay them any attention until now. ''The beautiful thing about the NCAA tournament is to see great teams that you don't see every night...
Full Story

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Friday's Sweet 16 Schedule

Louisville (1) vs. Oregon (12)

Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN

When: 7:15 p.m. ET

Watch: CBS

Keys to the Game for Oregon: Stay Hot from the Field, Take Care of the Ball

Kansas (1) vs. Michigan (4)

Where: Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX

When: 7:37 p.m. ET

Watch: TBS

Key to the Game for Michigan: Defense

Duke (2) vs. Michigan State (3)

Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN

When: 9:45 p.m. ET

Watch: CBS

Keys to the Game for Michigan State: Defense, Rebounding

Florida (3) vs. FGCU (15)

Where: Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX

When: 9:57 p.m. ET

Watch: TBS

Keys to the Game for FGCU: Offense, Defense

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Elite Eight preview: When to watch, what to watch

By Jeff Borzello, Recruiting Blogger
March 30, 2013 12:39 A.M. ET

LOS ANGELES - Eight teams remain, each of them 40 minutes from the Final Four.

It feels like the NCAA tournament just started, but we've already gone through 60 games and seen 60 teams end their season. In 48 hours, we will have our quartet that heads to Atlanta to vie for a national championship. To get you prepared for the Elite Eight, here is everything you need to know.

Saturday

No. 3 Marquette vs. No. 4 Syracuse (4:30 p.m., CBS)

We had to know the current Big East wouldn't go down without one more battle. The two teams faced off earlier this season, with Marquette holding off the Orange, 74-71 - although that was in the midst of Syracuse's major slump to end the regular season. The Orange are much different now, winning six of their last seven - including Thursday night's dominant defensive performance against Indiana. Marquette, meanwhile, eked out two wins against Davidson and Butler before easily handling Miami (Fla.).

What will Marquette do against Syracuse's zone? The Golden Eagles aren't a very good shooting team from the perimeter, but they love to penetrate off the bounce. Will they be able to find gaps against the Orange? Also, they need to grab offensive rebounds and get second-chance buckets. Syracuse's bigs need to stay out of foul trouble, as Marquette gets to the free-throw line very effectively.

No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Wichita State (7:05 p.m., CBS)

This one is going to be a grind-it-out affair, and I would be surprised to see it not go down to the final few minutes. Both teams are physical and prefer half-court games. Wichita State has been extremely impressive in all three games, handling Pittsburgh, Gonzaga and La Salle. Meanwhile, Ohio State needed last-second 3-pointers to escape against both Iowa State and Arizona. Will the Buckeyes need another clutch bucket?

The keys in this game could be perimeter defense and rebounding. Wichita State usually dominates the boards, and Ohio State has been utilizing its small lineup more often. On the other side, Ohio State's lineup that includes Deshaun Thomas and LaQuinton Ross in the frontcourt creates a plethora of matchup problems.

Sunday

No. 3 Florida vs. No. 4 Michigan (2:20 p.m., CBS)

The idea that Florida Gulf Coast could potentially make the Final Four was a tremendous story, but this is a must-watch Elite Eight game. Michigan seems freed from the shackles of the Big Ten, playing far more free and loose than it did during the regular season. The Wolverines dispatched of South Dakota State and VCU in impressive fashion, then had a tremendous comeback to knock off Kansas in the Sweet 16. Meanwhile, Florida's inability to win close games hasn't been an issue yet, as the Gators had no issue with Northwestern State or Minnesota, then pulled away down the stretch against FGCU.

The key matchup on Sunday is going to be Scottie Wilbekin vs. Trey Burke. Wilbekin is the best perimeter defender on Florida, and he's now facing a Trey Burke who is coming off one of the better late-game performances in recent tournament history. For Michigan, the Wolverines need to defend the arc and make Florida take contested shots inside the arc.

No. 1 Louisville vs. No. 2 Duke (5:05 p.m., CBS)

The two best teams left in the NCAA tournament will face off in the Elite Eight - and it should be a tremendous showdown. Louisville has looked dominant in the dance, cruising past North Carolina A&T, Colorado State and Oregon without breaking too much of a sweat. Duke has looked like a title contender several times in the tournament, beating Albany and Creighton, and then locking down in the second half against Michigan State. I mean, it's Rick Pitino vs. Mike Krzyzewski for the right to go to the Final Four - what more could you ask for?

When these two teams played earlier this season, Louisville was without Gorgui Dieng - and the Cardinals only lost by five. Dieng vs. Mason Plumlee will be a major key, as both players need to stay out of foul trouble and contribute in the paint. Can Chane Behanan follow Ryan Kelly on the perimeter? Can Quinn Cook handle the Louisville press consistently? And who guards Russ Smith? This is going to be a classic.

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NCAA Tournament Schedule

Eight Eight

Michigan [4] vs. Florida [3]—March 31, 2013 at 2:20 p.m. ET CBS

Louisville [1] vs. Duke [2]—March 31, 2013 at 5:05 p.m. ET CBS

Final Four

Louisville/Duke vs. [9] Wichita State—April 6, 2013 (time TBA)

Michigan/Florida vs. [4] Syracuse—April 6, 2013 (time TBA)

Championship Game

Scheduled to take place on April 8, 2013 (time TBA)

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There were blowouts & surprises, but Michigan, Syracuse, Wichita State & Louisville are the teams left standing for Saturday's NCAA tournament semifinals.

ATLANTA (AP)

An inspired Louisville squad vs. the surprising Shockers.

A new group of Fab Wolverines vs. the stingiest zone defense in college basketball.

After a weekend of blowouts and another upset, the Final Four is set.

Top overall seed Louisville will face Wichita State at the Georgia Dome next Saturday, while Michigan takes on Syracuse in the other national semifinal. The winners advance to the April 8 championship.

On Sunday, the Cardinals drew inspiration from a gruesome injury to guard Kevin Ware and cruised past Duke 85-63 in the Midwest Regional. Michigan led from the opening tip, routing Florida 79-59 in the South.

A day earlier, Syracuse shut down Marquette 55-39 to win the East. Wichita State punched its Final Four ticket with a 70-66 upset of Ohio State out West.

In the final year of the Big East before it splits into two new conferences, Louisville and Syracuse provided a fitting send-off to a league that quickly became a basketball powerhouse after it was founded in 1979.

Before it goes, this version of the Big East has a shot at one more national title.

With two teams, no less.

The Cardinals - who, like Syracuse, are moving to the Atlantic Coast Conference - were the only No. 1 seed to make it to the Final Four. And, boy, it's been an impressive run.

Louisville (33-5) has won its four NCAA games by an average margin of nearly 22 points, capped by a second-half blowout of Duke after the Cardinals shook off the incredible shock of Ware's injury with about 6 1/2 minutes to go before halftime.

''We won this for him,'' coach Rick Pitino said.

The sophomore snapped his lower right leg after coming down awkwardly while defending a 3-point shot. The injury occurred right in front of the Louisville bench, where the players gasped and turned away quickly at the sight of Ware's dangling leg, which was broken in two places.

Russ Smith collapsed onto the floor, along with several players, and was crying as doctors attended to Ware. While Ware was loaded onto a stretcher, the Cardinals gathered at midcourt until Pitino called them over, saying the injured player wanted to talk to them before he left.

The sophomore, who played his high school ball in suburban Atlanta, urged his teammates to complete the trip to the Georgia Dome. Pitino wiped his eyes as Ware was wheeled out, as did several Louisville players.

''All he kept saying - and remember, the bone is 6 inches out of his leg - all he's yelling is, `Win the game! Win the game!''' Pitino said. ''I've never seen that in my life. We're all distraught and all he's saying is, `Win the game.' Kevin is a special young man.''

This is a special team. Smith scored 23 points. Gorgui Dieng had 14 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks.

The Cardinals simply refused to lose, breaking open a game that was tied at 42. They dove on the floor for loose balls. They pounded the boards ferociously. They contested every shot and swarmed around the Blue Devils like they had an extra player on the court.

In a sense, they did. During every timeout, Pitino reminded the players of their hospitalized teammate.

''This is a gritty bunch,'' the coach said. ''From the beginning of the year to now, they've not had a bad game. I'm really proud of these guys.''

While the Cardinals are the clear favorite heading to their second straight Final Four, Wichita State was the most improbable team to advance.

The ninth-seeded Shockers lived up to their nickname in the West, knocking off top-seeded Gonzaga in the second round and No. 2 seed Ohio State in the regional final Saturday night.

Wichita State (30-8) built a 20-point lead on the Buckeyes, then managed to hang on through a nerve-racking final five minutes to pull off the latest upset in a tournament filled with them.

The Shockers will need an even bigger stunner to knock off Louisville, the one team in a wide-open tournament that has looked unbeatable.

Then again, that other team from Kansas has shown no fear so far.

''It feels very good,'' said Cleanthony Early, a junior forward who, like most guys on this team, was passed over by higher-profile programs, ''but we understand the fact that we've got to stay hungry and humble, because we've got two more games left to really be excited about.''

Old-timers might remember Louisville and Wichita State as former conference rivals. The Cardinals were a member of the Missouri Valley Conference in the 1960's and `70s, which meant annual games against the Shockers.

Louisville holds a 19-5 edge in the series, but the teams haven't played since 1976.

Michigan (30-7) is headed back to the Final Four for the first time since the Fab Five era of the early 1990's, when the Wolverines lost in back-to-back national title games.

This team has much the same feel, led by sophomore Trey Burke, the Big Ten player of the year, and three freshmen starters. They were downright fabulous against Florida on Sunday, never seriously threatened after scoring the first 13 points.

''A lot of guys said we were really young and that we couldn't get here,'' said Burke, who scored 15 points against Florida but really came through in an improbable comeback against top-seeded Kansas in the regional semifinals. ''We're here now and we still have unfinished business.''

One of the freshmen, Nik Stauskas, hit all six of his 3-pointers and scored 22 points to lead the fourth-seeded Wolverines past the third-seeded Gators. Another of the youngsters, 6-foot-10 Mitch McGary, chipped in with 11 points and nine rebounds.

Florida became the first team to make it to three straight regional finals without winning any of them, according to STATS.

The Wolverines will have their work cut out against Syracuse (30-9), a team that has totally stuffed its NCAA opponents with a stifling zone defense. The fourth-seeded Orange are headed to their first Final Four since winning it all in 2003 largely because they have allowed fewer than 46 points a game in the tournament.

Syracuse leads the series against Michigan 8-5. Their last meeting was Nov. 26, 2010, when the Orange prevailed 53-50 in the Legends Classic at Atlantic City, N.J.

The schools have never met in the NCAA tournament.

Syracuse has been like an octopus when it settles in around the its own lane - shutting off passing routes, preventing anyone from penetrating, yet still managing to defend the 3-point line with quickness and long arms. Montana, California, top-seeded Indiana and Marquette combined to make just under 29 percent from the field (61 of 211) and a paltry 15.4 percent (14 of 91) outside the arc.

''We were as active these two games here in Washington as we've ever been,'' Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said after Saturday's win over league rival Marquette, which is headed to a new version of the Big East next season. ''I just really can't say enough about how good these guys played on the defensive end of the court.''