NCAA Bracket

[Da Coach]

#13 seed Buffalo is clobbering #4 seed Arizona 89-64 with 1 minute left. That means all 3 Pac-12 teams in the NCAA Tournament are gone after 1 game (UCLA and Arizona State in the First Four games to #11 seeds, and Arizona tonight in the first round to a #13 seed)).
Maybe they did not deserve more than the one auto-bid.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=401025818

[Da Coach]

Final score-
Buffalo 89 Arizona 68-

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=401025818

And now the CBS announcers are trying to peddle a sob story about what a tough season it's been for poor Arizona and their poor coach Sean Miller with all the controversy swirling around the FBI investigation, and the rumors that Miller knew about the money being thrown around to recruits.
Pardon me while I dry my eyes....


There is some irony here- among the teams rumored to be under investigation by the FBI-- Oklahoma State, USC, and Louisville were left out and did not even get a bid, Miami and NC State one and done already, and auto-bid Arizona embarrassed by a mid-major (Buffalo) from a 1-bid conference.

[MacabreMob]

Final score-
Buffalo 89 Arizona 68-

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=401025818

And now the CBS announcers are trying to peddle a sob story about what a tough season it's been for poor Arizona and their poor coach Sean Miller with all the controversy swirling around the FBI investigation, and the rumors that Miller knew about the money being thrown around to recruits.
Pardon me while I dry my eyes....


There is some irony here- among the teams rumored to be under investigation by the FBI-- Oklahoma State, USC, and Louisville were left out and did not even get a bid, Miami and NC State one and done already, and auto-bid Arizona embarrassed by a mid-major (Buffalo) from a 1-bid conference.

Is that part of the fix? Lose badly? So don't get hit with a slap?

[Scoretable]

The dark cloud over college basketball has impacted the NCAA tournament. Spin by media is not enough to alter reality. Also, analysis by college coaches of games would be much better. Knowledge of viewership is too often undervalued. We need "Joe Friday " with game facts and not useless drivel.

[tornado]

Buffalo is and has been all season A VERY GOOD TEAM...

perhaps the clueless broadcasters (who turned last night's broadcast into the Sean Miller/DeAndre Ayton this-is-your-life-show) just stumbled on this fact last night...
but Buffalo had a 24 RPI, a record of 26-8 while playing a NON-CONFERENCE SOS of 8!!!, they won their conference, and they had little trouble regularly putting up 80, 90 and 100 points every game!
I kinda think even Arizona took them too lightly....and there's talk that Ayton's lazy, non-existent defense last night may well have cost him his LOCK as the #1 Draft pick in June.
Buffalo, a far, far smaller team, put up 24 shots in the paint, they made 15 of them and Ayton blocked only one and defended the rest weakly.

[Da_Braves21]

As you know UMBC beat the Virgina Cavaliers yesterday. So that makes them the first team ever to beat the 1 seed. I am trying to figure out how. I understand there will be upsets but with the odds they had to get beat by 20.... Really. I am happy UMBC did that because they probably were working harder anyway. Still we have seen Wichita and Arizona get beat and some of these other teams not winning by a lot. Do you think its the year of the underdogs?

[Da Coach]

Buffalo is hanging close with Kentucky in the first half of their round 2 game-

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=401025858

And Loyola is leading Tennessee late in the first half-

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=401025857

Go Ramblers!

Other round 2 scores Saturday-

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/scoreboard

[Da Coach]

I really like Candace Parker on the CBS studio panel. She is smart, funny, and does a great job along with Frank Martin, Brendan Haywood, Casey Stern, and Seth Davis.

[MacabreMob]

Jesus - where is everybody? Loyola is in Sweet 16!

[Da Coach]

Loyola wins again on a shot by Custer with 3.6 seconds left
Loyola 63 Tennessee 62

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game?gameId=401025857

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=401025857

They advance to the Sweet 16 to play the winner of the Nevada-Cincinnati game.

[BUfan14]

The last team to make the sweet sixteen from Illinois was Bradley correct? So it??™s been 12 years?

[MacabreMob]

Maybe if Creighton and Wichita St stayed in the MVC they would get disrespected and then play with a chip on their shoulder and then be in the Sweet 16 with Loyola.

Those programs and their fans can go kiss the moon.

[Dub]

Loyola is playing the best team ball I have seen so far in the tournament. Tennessee shot themselves in the foot in the first half with quick threes and just generally looking like they believed they would cruise.

And to think we weren’t sure we liked the pick of Loyola to replace Creighton.

And to think of someone had knocked them off in the valley tournament (like UNI on Friday or Bradley on Sat) they wouldn’t have even been invited.

They overcame the crap seed they got.

They keep saying that Loyola hasn’t lost since 1/31... I keep hoping they’ll mention who beat them.

Hard not to like watching this Loyola team. Good for them.

[BUSongwriter]

<And to think if someone had knocked them off in the valley tournament (like UNI on Friday or Bradley on Sat) they wouldn’t have even been invited.>

No, they wouldn't have been. And I'm so happy the Ramblers are showing just how crazy that would have been. I'm sure the commentators won't revisit that. After today's game, one admitted he hadn't seen Loyola all year.

And I'm with you, MacabreMob -- I can't believe how quiet the board has been after this big win for the Valley. That Custer's shot bounced in was amazing! I guess everyone is either a) at the IHSA finals or b) celebrating St. Patrick's Day.

Final thought on why this is so good for the Valley. Loyola's run is energizing Chicago. l have to believe their attendance will skyrocket next year. And that's good for everyone.

[bigjimmy]

Congrats to the Ramblers in making it to the 2nd week of March Madness! They are as good as a fundamentally sound team that I've watched all season. No team passes the ball better than them, 17 assists on 22 baskets in this game, and they get after it on defense. They withstood Tennessee's early push, dug in, played hard and smart, gave up another late lead but made their last shot count again. They just know how to win. Either Nevada or Cincinnati will find out just how hard of an out that Loyola will be. Go get em boys!