Memorable Bearcat Games: Cincinnati 26 West Virginia 23

This Memorable Bearcat Game took place during the magical 2008 season. It was a battle of 6-2 teams, Cincinnati and West Virginia. The Bearcats came into the game 1-1 in the Big East, but were coming off a huge win at South Florida the week before. West Virginia had been rolling since starting the season 1-2. At this point in the season, we didn't know for sure if the Bearcats were going to be contenders in the Big East. This was their big chance to show their stuff. Every year it seems that the conference champion has to go through West Virginia to the crown, and it certainly was the case in 2008. Pat White even had a championship belt.

 The stage was set. Morgantown, West Virginia. 60,00 crazy fans. A night to remember.

The Bearcats took advantage of the opening kickoff. By took advantage, I mean Mardy Gilyard returned the kick 100 yards for a touchdown. Here's a picture of Mardy running.

Suffice to say, that stunned the crowd. Also stunning the crowd was when WVU went 3 and out. Cincinnati couldn't do much on their possession and punted back. The Bearcats defense stifled WVU yet again, forcing a punt. This time Pat McAfee shanked it, setting UC up at the Mountaineer 33. John Goebel popped a 5 yard run on first down, but the drive stalled there. Jake Rogers calmly nailed a 46 yarder to make the score 10-0.

That score seemed to wake the Mountaineers up. Starting at their 23, Pat White took over. He busted a 15 yard run, and an 8 yard run around a 4 yard run by Noel Devine to get WVU to midfield. The Bearcats forced a third and long, but White hit Jock Sanders for 30 yards to the UC 19. White hit Alric Arnett on the next play for a touchdown and it was quickly a ball game at 10-7. The Bearcats drive went nowhere, ending in a sack. The defense would end up making a big play. Facing a 3rd and 1, WVU gave the ball to Devine, who tried to go up the middle, but was stripped. Brandon Underwood recovered for UC at the WVU 34. Tony Pike hit Dominick Goodman for 12 yards, John Goebel for 6, and ran for 11 getting the ball to the WVU 5. This was the first full game Pike played in after his broken left forearm. He left the previous UConn and South Florida games. The Bearcats ate a false start, and couldn't get closer, settling for a 31 yard field goal to make the score 13-7 to end the first quarter.

WVU started quarter 2 with a little drive, going from their 23 to their 47, before a holding penalty, and a false start forced them into long yardage plays. They punted UC back to the 21, setting the stage for maybe the biggest drive of the game.

Pike started things off by hitting Goodman once again for 25 yards, followed by a 6 yard run by Jacob Ramsey and another 7 yard pass to Goodman. That put the ball at the Mountaineer 39. But things went back on the Bearcats, getting hit with an illegal use of hands and a holding penalty to make it 1st and 30 at the UC 41. A pass to Ben Guidugli  for 7, and a 6 yard Ramsey run set up a 3rd and 17. Pike found Goodman yet again for 18 yards and a Bearcat first down. Pike hit Kazeem Alli for 6, another Ramsey run for 5 yards netted a first down, and another pass to Goodman for 9 put UC at the 8 yard line. Pike hit Marcus Waugh for a first down to the 5. After a 1 yard Ramsey run, Pike scrambled the last 4 yards on a looking left, looking left, run right play for the Cincinnati touchdown, capping a 12 play, 73 yard drive that took 9 minutes plus. It also made the score 20-7.

WVU went 3 and out on their next possession, punting to the UC 25. The Bearcats popped a 66 yard pass to John Goebel to get the ball to the 13. The Bearcats could only move the ball 2 yards, setting Jake Rogers up for a 29 yard FG. Unfortunately for UC, Rogers jaked it off the upright for his first miss of the season. That was lame, but the lameness makes you like it. Neither team did anything special to end the half. We went to the locker room with UC up 20-7.

The third quarter pretty much played out like this. Incomplete pass, short run, sack, penalty, punt. The first 4 drives the teams went 3 and out with their punters Pat McAfee and Kevin Huber drilling 50 yard punts. McAfee ruined it by hitting a 49 yarder, and Huber followed with a 33 yard punt. McAfee boomed his next one 56 yards however. Huber's leg must have been tired, because his next punt was shanked, going 28 yards to the WVU 47.

The Mountaineers got the first 1st down of the quarter, when following a 7 yard White run, White passed to Sanders, who did a lateral to Devine for 10 yards. Following a sack by Curtis Young that ended quarter 3, White hit Devine for 7 to set up 3rd and 8. White rushed for no gain, but drew a personal foul penalty on the Bearcats to keep the drive alive. Runs by Sanders, and Devine set up 1st and 10 from the 11. White threw the ball three times, 2 incompletions around a 5 yard pass to Devine, setting up a big 4th and 5. WVU decided to go for it. White tried to run to daylight on a bootleg left, but was pushed out of bounds shy of the first down, resulting in a turnover on downs.

Cincinnati took over at the 3. Brian Kelly decided to ride Jacob Ramsey. Ramsey picked up 4, 4, 2 (resulting in the first UC first down of the half), 5 and 2. The last 2 yards resulted from holding, making it 2nd and 13. Goebel couldn't run for those yards, setting up a 54 yard Huber punt that was returned 7 yards by Sanders to the WVU 40. The UC drive took 4:32, leaving WVU with 6:49.

West Virginia would drive again. White hit Bradley Starks for 24 to the UC 37. After an incompletion and 8 yard pass to Starks, Devine converted a 3rd and 2 with a 4 yard run. White hit Devine with 2 passes of 4 and 5 yards around an incompletion, setting up a 4th and 1 at the UC 15. Once again White ran, but this time, he got the first down. His next pass attempt drew a pass interference, giving WVU a 1st and goal at the 2. White threw an incompletion, ran for a yard, and ran for a loss of a yard, setting up another huge 4th down. This time, WVU went for a pass. White stared down Jock Sanders, threw, and was intercepted by DeAngelo Smith. Smith played White and the ball perfectly. It looked like WVU had just blown their best opportunity to come back.

UC had 3:22 on the clock, the ball at the 3, and 0 timeouts for West Virginia. The Bearcats gave the ball to Goebel twice, but he only got 4 yards. On 3rd and 6, Ramsey picked up 4. UC took a delay of game. Not wanting to risk a blocked kick, and playing for field position, Kelly did the smart thing and had Huber take a safety. That made the score 20-9 with only 1:11 remaining.

The free kick by Rogers was returned to the WVU 39 by Sanders. After an incompletion, White hit Sanders for 14 to the UC 47. The biggest play came on the next play. White hit Dorrell Jalloh for 23 yards, but UC was hit with a backbreaking personal foul putting the ball at the 9. White's first pass was incomplete. On second down, WVU had a false start, making it 2nd and goal at the 14. White hit Sanders for 11 to set up 3rd and goal at the 3. White's pass was incomplete. All UC needed was one more stop to finish the game. Instead, White converted with a pass to Jalloh. White ran in the 2 point conversion to make the score 20-17.

WVU got another break when Mortty Ivy recovered the onside kick. WVU's special teams made a big blunder to start the game, and a big play to save it. With 18 seconds left, White hit Jalloh yet again for 21 yard to the UC 35. An incomplete pass set up a field goal attempt for McAfee, which would tie his career high. The strong footed kicker made the pressure kick, sending the crowd into a frenzy, and sending the game into overtime.

Dustin Grutza was the starting QB for UC in 2008. He suffered a broken leg against Oklahoma, and watched Tony Pike turn into, well, Tony Pike. Grutza was the captain for UC on this day. His fateful call of I'm guessing tails, because tails never fails, allowed UC the option for overtime. UC took defense. At first, it didn't look good. Devine rushed for 9, 2, 3 and 4. That brought 3rd and 3 at the 7. Terrill Byrd made the biggest play for the defense, as he corralled White for a 3 yard sack. McAfee was true from 27, giving WVU a 23-20 lead.

UC took possession, and finally remembered that they were allowed to play offense. Pike hit Goodman for 10 yards and a first down, followed by a WVU personal foul that was half the distance to the goal. Jacob Ramsey busted for 5 yards. On 2nd and 2, Pike went play action. Every Mountaineer went left, Pike rolled right. Kazeem Alli was wide open. Earlier in the game, Pike overthrew a wide open Alli on a sure touchdown. This time, Pike was right on the money.

Pike for the game was 16-30 for 178 and the 1 TD. Goodman had 6 catches for 81 yards. Ramsey led UC in rushing, 18 carries for 83 yards. Aaron Webster had 13 tackles, and was big everywhere on defense for Cincinnati. On the WVU side, White was 20-38 for 219, 2 TDs and 1 INT. White had 41 yards rushing, and the conversion. Noel Devine led WVU with 58 yards on 19 carries, but fumbled. Jalloh was the leading WVU receiver, with 54 yards on 4 catches and a TD. Sanders had 52 yards on 5 catches. UC 260 yards, WVU 317. But WVU had 98 rushing yards, which was the first time they had under 100 yards rushing since 2001.

As you know, UC won this game and never looked back. This was the win that gave UC legitimacy. It was Brian Kelly's 5th win against a ranked team, UC had 4 it's entire history before him. It was the second win for UC ever over West Virginia. It was the win that gave confidence to the players, and especially fans, that UC was onto something special. That's why UC 26 West Virginia 23 is a Memorable Bearcat Game.

Questions and Answers

Bearcats Blog apologizes for the lack of Memorable Bearcats and Games posts this week. We'll get back to that next week. Today, we'll do questions and answers, starring myself.

What Big East coach picked St John's to win the Big East?

Rick Pitino did. He said he would have picked UC to win, but didn't want to put that pressure on Mick. I don't know what's happened to Rick Pitino the past year. Well, we all know what's happened to Rick Pitino in the past year, but I meant more basketball wise. Louisville never seemed to get the right mix going last season, after the disappointing loss to Michigan State in the Elite 8. The Cards have a couple of big recruiting classes coming in the next few seasons, so we'll see if Pitino still has the magic.

What Bearcats Blog first team Big East player was booted from his team?

That would be Jamine Peterson of Providence. It hasn't been said what made Keno Davis boot him off the team, but the leading scorer and rebounder won't be back. I don't know if it's going to be such a terrible thing for the Friars. Peterson earned the nickname of Greedy from the Friar faithful. Maybe that's just a cool nickname, but it also means he was a black hole once he touched the ball. Peterson didn't care as much about defense as Friar fans would have liked, but who really played defense on Providence last season? I think the answer was no one. I like watching Providence play because their brand of basketball is exciting. I would rip my hair out if I were a Providence fan though. Especially after the disaster against South Florida. Looking back on it, both the South Florida games were disasters for Providence. The first meeting saw the Friars blow a 12 point lead with 2 minutes left and a 5 point lead with 11 seconds left. They would lose in OT. In the second meeting, they gave up a 7 point lead with 5 minutes left, took a late lead, but gave up a lay up to Dominque Jones, who was fouled by Curry, who got hit with a technical. Providence probably doesn't want to see them on the schedule twice next season.

I heard from Brian Bennett that Phil Steele's list of All America teams came out. Were any Big East players on it?

Yes. On the second team were Pitt Panther stars Dion Lewis, Jonathan Baldwin and Greg Romeus, and Mountaineer Robert Sands. The fourth team featured WVU back Noel Devine and UConn LB Lawrence Wilson.

What about Steele's Big East team?

What about it? Get off Phil Steele already. No one cares.

Is there talk of the Big East getting rid of the double bye in the Big East Tournament?

Yes there is. I'm a big fan of getting rid of the double bye. It was stupid from the get go. For one, it punished every team who had to play on Tuesday. It also punished the teams who received the double bye, not counting Louisville, who won the whole thing. The first year, Pitt and UConn lost. Last season, everyone lost but West Virginia, and they almost lost their first game. They are speculating about a pure 16 team bracket, with 4 games on Tuesday, 4 on Wednesday, and the quarter finals starting on Thursday. That seems about fair. I think the top 4 play on Tuesday. That seems to be the most fair way to do things. I mean, if you play well enough to earn a top 4 seed in the ridiculous Big East, than I think you deserve a day off in the tournament. And if you lose, you deserve the shame an extra day.

Let's get back to Brian Bennett. Would he like to see Cincinnati in a non-conference rivalry game every year?

Glad you asked. The answer is yes. He, like every Bearcat fan and none of the spineless Buckeye fans, would love to see Cincinnati and Ohio State play every season. Ohio State would much rather play Akron and Toledo and other MAC schools before playing the other major conference team from Ohio. That's because Ohio State is scared of losing Ohio. The teams play again in 2014. I'm predicting a Cincinnati victory on this date.

Is there a New Jersey blog Big East ranking for next season? I have a need to see one. It's my crack.

Great question, and yes there is. It's right here. Thank you New Jersey Hoops Haven for putting out such a list today. I'll run down the top 5 for you if you are too lazy to click. Villanova, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, West Virgnia, Georgetown. That's rather vanilla. They pick Cincinnati 12. Shockingly, they have DePaul in last place.

Speaking of Big East talk, is it true that you are participating in something for the East Coast Bias in the next couple of weeks? 

Yes. I'll tell you when things get posted over there and you can check them out. It's a roundtable deal, with things from Orange 44, Voodoo 5, Eye of a Panther, The Nova Blog, Pitt Blather, and lots of other email address I don't recognize. Pretty much every blog listed is involved. It should be awesome.

NBE Basketball says in their latest Big East roundup that UC might be better with this roster. Thoughts?

I agree. The person who wrote that said that it was clear that the players hated each other last season, and it would be addition by subtraction. Believe me, there are a ton of people who think that UC was better off losing one player in particular this season. I think it should help UC. I've written about it this issue myself. What, with rumors that Bishop and Lance hated each other, Bishop hating Mick (getting kicked off the team didn't help that not be true), and Vaughn and Lance playing horribly along side each other all season. I think UC has a nucleus of players that genuinely like each other. At least they follow each other on twitter.

After that seemingly awkward answer, how does Brian Bennett rank the Big East running backs?

I should link Brian at least once, so there that is. He, like everyone else with eyes, ranks Pittsburgh first, and West Virginia second. He has UC 4th, behind UConn. That seems about fair. He looks for big things from Isaiah Pead, and so do I. I'm really pumped about my boy Darrin Williams getting touches this year. I think he's going to be a home run threat on kick returns, and getting handoffs and screens.

Can we get one last reminder about UC baseball?

This weekend, UC plays host to Georgetown. The Bearcats need to win to guarantee they make the Big East tournament. Georgetown kinda sucks, 5 Big East wins, but spoilers are everywhere. Show up and root the Bearcats onward and upward.

Final Four Preview

There was going to be more than this than just a quick Final Four preview, but Blogger was being retarded earlier and it's 4 right now and I want to get this up before 5. That was a run on sentence yes, but time is of the essence. It took me 3 tries to spell essence, which really slowed things down. As does rambling on and on about things that you, the reader, probably do not care about. Before we get into the Final Four preview, I'm going to share something. That something is a spoiler about Survivor, so if you haven't watched it, stop reading.

On last night's episode, Boston Rob was voted off. As he was getting up, Coach tried to give him a hug, but Rob was having none of it, and called him "A little man." Now that was hilarious, but the more hilarious part was the hug block that Rob pulled. Coach got up and went for the hug, but Rob ignored it and started walking out. It was glorious. Now I have never been hug blocked before, but I'm going to assume that it makes you feel like shit. To have it done on national tv, that's just glorious. I watched that part about 5 times. That brings us to the Bearcats blog tip of the day, if you piss someone off and lose their respect, don't try to hug them desperately after. It's unbecoming.

Final Four Preview
6:07 PM
Butler Bulldogs v. Michigan State Spartans

5 Butler Bulldogs 30-6

How they got here: Horizon League Tournament Champions 

Round 1- 77-59 over UTEP

Round 2- 54-52 over Murray State

Round 3-  63-59 over Syracuse

Round 4- 63-56 over Kansas State

Best Players: Gordon Hayward 15.5-8.2 Shelvin Mack 14.2-3.8-3.1 assists-1.4 steals

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 46/6

5 Michigan State Spartans 28-8

How they got here: At large (Big 10 3 way tie Co-Champions)

Round 1- 70-67 over New Mexico State

Round 2- 85-83 over Maryland

Round 3- 59-52 over Northern Iowa

Round 4- 70-69 over Tennessee

Best Players:  Raymar Morgan 11.5-6.2 Durrell Summers 11.2-4.6 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 25/33

Prediction: Ken Pom has Butler by 2, winning 58% of the time. I agree. I'm fully on the Butler Bulldogs bandwagon. There is still room if you want to join. I'm pretty sure that it will now be cursed, and they will lose by 29 to Michigan State. 

Butler 64 Michigan State 59

8:47 PM

West Virginia Mountaineers v. Duke Blue Devils

2 West Virginia Mountaineers 31-6

How they got here: Big East Tournament Champions

Round 1- 77-50 over Morgan State

Round 2- 68-59 over Missouri 

Round 3- 69-56 over Washington

Round 4- 73-66 over Kentucky

Best Players: Da'Sean Butler 17.4-6.3-3.2 assists Kevin Jones 13.7-7.2

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 12/10

1 Duke Blue Devils 31-5

How they got here: Won ACC Tournament

Round 1- 73-44 over Arkansas Pine Bluff

Round 2- 68-53 over California

Round 3- 70-57 over Purdue

Round 4- 78-71 over Baylor

Best Players: Jon Scheyer 18.2-4.8 assists Kyle Singler 17.6-6.9

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 1/3

Prediction: Ken Pom has Duke by 5, with a 70% chance of winning. I don't think that it's going to be that clear cut. I like this West Virginia team, and think they can hang. They need to score though. Duke is excellent defensively, and they are efficient offensively. I think this is going to be a knockdown, drag out affair. 

Prediction: Duke 72 West Virginia 65

Why We Should Root Against West Virginia

We looked at why we should root for West Virginia yesterday, now it's time to flip that coin. We are going to go through all the reasons why we should root against West Virginia in the Final Four and beyond. Let's not waste any more time, and get into the action. 

• Bob Huggins

Let's look at the Bob Huggins Tournament resume at UC. Why? Because Bob Huggins has done something at West Virginia he never did at Cincinnati, beat good teams in the Tournament.

1. It started off not so bad, with a loss to the Fab 5 in the Final Four (although they were a 6 seed). 
2. North Carolina (eventual champions) in the Elite 8, in an overtime game.
3. The Wisconsin loss doesn't count since that team sucked in hindsight. 
4. UConn was good as well, and a 2 seed. Then the questionable losses start. 
5. Elite 8 loss to 5 seed Mississippi State as a 2. 
6. 2nd round loss to 6 Iowa State as a 3. 
7. 2nd round loss to 10 West Virginia as a 2. That team nearly lost to 15 Northern Arizona as well. 
8. 2nd round loss to 6 Temple as a 3. Temple seemed to always beat Cincinnati. 
9. 2nd round loss to 7 Tulsa as a 2 seed. They should have been a 1, but they would have lost to the 8 or 9. That team was done when Kenyon Martin went down. 
10. Sweet 16 loss to 1 Stanford as a 5 is good. That team was lucky to make the Sweet 16, but it made it. 
11. 2nd round loss to 8 UCLA as a 1 seed. That loss still hurts. 
12. 1st round loss to 9 Gonzaga. UC played like shit, and got hosed by the officials. 
13. 2nd round loss to 5 Illinois as a 4. Just like the year UC lost to West Virginia, they were lucky to make the second round. Unlike that year, UC got the doors blown off in an embarrassing effort. 
14. 2nd round loss to 2 Kentucky as a 7. Not so bad. 

At West Virginia, Huggins beat a 2 seed his first year (Duke), and after a first round flame out last year, they beat 1 seed Kentucky to advance to the Final Four. How many 1s or 2s did Hugs beat at UC? Fucking 0. Thanks for using your failure to win here as your keys to win there.

1. Watching Bob Huggins coach West Virginia is weird. I think it was Mo Egger who wrote it was like watching your ex-wife get married, while your current wife sucks. In bad ways. That makes sense.
2. Bob Huggins is partially responsible for the decline. He didn't do anything recruiting wise for the Kennedy year. They had Downey, but besides that, nothing big. 
3. Sweatsuits on the sidelines? What are you? Coaching 10 year olds? You are a fucking millionaire college coach who could probably get anyone to send you a different suit for each game each year, yet he wears free Nike sweatsuits like a bum. Way to look like a slob. 
4. Bob Huggins would probably still be the UC coach if he called a cab or hitched a ride. If he acted responsibly instead of an asshole, things would be very different. 
5. Bob Huggins probably should have resigned. Just throwing that out there.

• They are from the Big East

I never understood the blind conference pride. We root against West Virginia and Louisville and Syracuse and Georgetown all season long, and now we are supposed to jump on the bandwagon? Um, no. I wasn't disappointed when Syracuse lost to Butler, or when Georgetown lost to Ohio. I was pretty happy. I didn't root for Villanova or UConn last year, so why would I root for West Virginia?

• Da'Sean Butler

A couple things about Butler. 1, he is not the best player Bob Huggins ever coached. I hate when people say things like that, and of course, Bob Huggins went ahead and said that. Is he better than Kenyon? No. Better than Logan? Maybe. Better than Fortson? No. It's annoying. 2 is this.

• West Virginia has a player named Flowers.

It makes me think of Rod Flowers every single time. I was not a Rod Flowers fan at all, and I find this incredibly annoying.

• I'm already getting mad about the fact they are going to lose to Duke.

Seriously, fuck Duke.

• West Virginia sucks. 

Why We Should Root for West Virginia

By 'Why We Should Root for West Virginia', we obviously mean why we should root for Bob Huggins. It's a complicated issue. So complicated, that tomorrow there will be a 'Why We Shouldn't Root for West Virginia' entry. That's right, we are breaking this thing down from all angles. Put on your scuba gear, because we are getting deep.

We should root for West Virginia for the following reasons:

• Bob Huggins

That was stated up at the top yes, but it's worth pointing out and going in depth about. In fact, I'm breaking out the numbers, creating chaos.

1.  Bob Huggins was the greatest coach in Cincinnati modern history. He brought us titles in the Great Midwest and Conference USA. He raised Cincinnati's profile so, that UC was offered a spot in the Big East. That's been a huge boon for the football team. More importantly, he made the C stand for something. 
2. He took us to the NCAA Tournament from 1992-2004. He took us to the Final Four. He took us to 2 other Elite 8s as we all know. Him taking West Virginia to the title would almost be cathartic. It would be like Cincinnati winning the National Title. 
3. He's one of our guys, and don't you always have to pull for our guys to win?
4. He brought in All Americans like Danny Fortson, Kenyon Martin, and Steve Logan, and has built up a roster like some old UC teams. They play just like late 90s UC did, and it brings back some memories. If only he broke out the 1-3-1 to beat UK more at UC. 
5. Lastly, he wears a track suit. I mean, how ridiculous is this? How can you hate on the man, when he doesn't care about how he looks? How can you not laugh when he's dressed like a gym teacher? 

• They are from the Big East.

Conference pride. We can't let the ACC, Big 10, or the Horizon league win the title. It has to come back to the Big East. The Big East is the best conference in basketball. The Big East struggled a whole lot in the Tournament. What better way to shut up the morons who say the Big East was overrated, than a Big East team winning the title?

• Da'Sean Butler

Da'Sean Butler  has become one of my favorite players to watch. He may not have NBA skills, but he is a damn fine college player. He was huge in slaying the dragon known as Kentucky, and that alone should have earned him a space in your heart. He was called by Bob Huggins 'the best player he ever coached.' High praise.

• They live in West Virginia

Really, that's where they live. What the hell is there to do in West Virginia? Wear coonskin caps? Kiss your cousin? Hike the mountains? Make some moonshine in your bathtub? Are some of these things about Kentucky as well? Yes, but there is no difference between them. Especially everywhere in Kentucky east of Lexington. And south of Lexington. Actually, all of Kentucky that's not Lexington or Louisville. Anyway, they burn couches in West Virginia. Burning couches is pretty cool.

• They are playing Duke

Fuck Duke.

South and Midwest Regional Finals Preview

First things first, congratulations to Butler and West Virginia. Bob Huggins reached his second Final Four, his first since 1992, and WVU's first since 1959. Butler reached their first Final Four ever, and they get to play in Indianapolis. I don't know how you couldn't be rooting for Butler. I was incredibly happy for them. I was also incredibly happy that Kentucky lost. Maybe if you weren't dicks Kentucky fans, people would like you. Let's recap and predict.

West
5 Butler Bulldogs 63 2 Kansas State Wildcats 56 - Butler pulled off nearly the same game they did against Syrcause. They got off to a good start, had a solid halftime lead, and fell behind late. Kansas State rallied for the lead, but the Bulldogs would not quit. A Gordon Hayward lay up with a minute left sealed the deal. Kansas St was locked down by the tough nosed defense, held to 38% shooting, just 5 threes, and 7-14 at the free throw line. Gordon Hayward put up 22-9 for the winners, while Denis Clemente had 18 for the Wildcats.

East
2 West Virginia Mountaineers 73 1 Kentucky Wildcats 66 - West Virginia made 8 threes for their only field goals of the first half. When they made twos, they put Kentucky away. The Mountaineer defense held Kentucky to only 34% shooting, 4-32 from 3. Kentucky was also 16-29 at the free throw line. West Virginia hit 23-34 at the stripe, and that helped them advance. Da'Sean Butler led the way with 18-6, while in his last game at UK, John Wall had 19-6-5 assists-4 steals-5 turnovers. Once again, congrats to WVU. Represent the Big East well.

Predictions

2:20 PM
6 Tennessee Volunteers v. 5 Michigan State Spartans - Tennessee has played tough, slow down games in 2 of their 3 wins. Michigan State has played the same. Both had second round offensive explosions, MSU over Maryland, and Tennessee over Ohio. I fully expect another slow down game here. It's going to be a toss up. Michigan State didn't seem to miss Kailin Lucas too much against Northern Iowa, but I think this is the game that does it. I like how Tennessee is playing, even though they could have very well lost to San Diego State.

Prediction: Ken Pom likes Sparty by 1, winning 52% of the time. It's a toss up. I like the Orange to crash the Final Four.
Tennessee 65 Michigan State 61

5:05 PM
3 Baylor Bears v. 1 Duke Blue Devils - Baylor is coming off a great performance, and has the home crowd. That's good, but I think that they lose. Duke has locked everyone down so far in the tournament, and I think they'll take advantage of Baylor's good, but not great defense. I hope LaceDarius Dunn has a big game. Yes, I wanted to type LaceDarius. I hope Baylor fights the good fight and wins, but I think Duke will be the only 1 seed to advance.

Prediction: Ken Pom likes Duke by 6, winning 72% of the time. Sounds about right.
Duke 73 Baylor 69

East and West Regional Final Previews

The NCAA Tournament is quickly winding down to the it's end sadly. We are left with just 8 squads. Before we look at the match ups for today, let's rewind and look at who were the big winners last night.

Midwest
6 Tennessee 76 2 Ohio State 73 - The Buckeyes couldn't keep the Volunteers off the offensive glass, as the Vols grabbed 18. The Buckeyes also couldn't stop Tennessee inside. They did have a chance to win, as Player of the Year in the Big 10, and probably America, Evan Turner got a pair of looks from 3. He missed the first and had the second blocked by JP Prince to send the Buckeyes packing. It's Tennessee's first ever Elite 8. Wayne Chism had 22-11, and Brian Williams 9-12, including the tip in for the lead. Evan Turner had 31-7-5 assists in his last game as a Buckeye.

5 Michigan State 59 9 Northern Iowa 52 - Northern Iowa didn't score a field goal in the last 10 minutes against the Spartans. Those types of things tend to cost you games. Michigan State continues to be a team that always advances to the late stages of the NCAA tournament. Even though many thought they would reach this point in November, none thought it would come this way. For UNI, Adam Koch  had 13, while for the Spartans, Durrell Summers put up 19-7.

South
3 Baylor 72 10 St Mary's 49 - This was an all out rout in Houston. Baylor shot 45%, pounded the glass, and played tough defense. LaceDarius Dunn went for 23 to power the Bears, while Ben Allen had 16-7 for the losers.

1 Duke 70 5 Purdue 57 - This game went exactly as I predicted, which never happens. Purdue tried their best, but had no offensive answers for the Dukies. This game was ugly for a long time, but the Blue Devils will take ugly as long as they advance. Duke outrebounded Purdue by 22, pulled in 15 offensive boards and held Purdue to just 4. Kyle Singler had 24-8 for Duke, while JaJuan Johnson had 23 for Purdue.

Previews and Predictions

4:30 PM
5 Butler Bulldogs v. 2 Kansas State Wildcats - Butler has been grinding down defensively in their last 2 wins, while Kansas State has shown off their offensive firepower in blowing by BYU and Xavier. It's going to be interesting to see who on Butler can contain Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente. The Bulldogs are going to need Shelvin Mack and Gordon Hayward to continue their strong play. At least strong play in the last game by Hayward. Ken Pom thinks that Kansas State wins by 3 62% of the time. I really like Butler, but I don't know if they have enough. Kansas State is coming off a tough game yes, but I think they have more.

Prediction: Kansas State 68 Butler 60

7 PM
2 West Virginia Mountaineers v. 1 Kentucky Wildcats - The best of the Elite 8 games in being played tonight. The Wildcats and Mountaineers are two very good defensive clubs, who have a tendency to miss shots. Both rebound the hell out of the offensive glass. It's going to be interesting to see if Hugs puts Devin Ebanks on John Wall like everyone is predicting. I think that he will, but that WVU will play a lot of zone. That leaves the game in the hands of the Kentucky guards. Eric Bledsoe could murder WVU if they leave him open, as could Dobson or Darius Miller. Kevin Jones and Ebanks could have their hands full with Patterson and Cousins. I think Butler will be guarded by Miller, and it's going to be a challenge for Darius. I'm looking forward to this game very much. It should be great. Ken Pom has UK by 2, winning 58%. Even the computers think it's a toss up. Of course, I'm pulling for Bob Huggins. Final Four track suits everyone!

Prediction: West Virginia 72 Kentucky 68

NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Thursday Preview

As any hoops fan knows, we are in the best time of the year. It's Sweet 16/Elite 8 weekend. It's when the Cinderella's slipper falls off, or when Cinderella makes it to the ball. It's when we find out what team can handle the pressure, and what teams combust. It's a werewolf bar mitzvah. There will be a little comparison and prediction for Butler v. Syracuse, Xavier v. Kansas State, West Virginia v. Washington and Kentucky v. Cornell.

West
7:07 PM
1 Syracuse v. 5 Butler

1 Syracuse Orange 30-4

How they got here: At large (Big East Regular Season Champions) 

Round 1- 79-56 over Vermont

Round 2- 87-65 over Gonzaga 

Best Players: Wesley Johnson 16.5-8.5-2.3 assists-1.7 steals-1.9 blocks Andy Rautins 12-5 assists-2 steals

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 7/16

5 Butler Bulldogs 28-6

How they got here: Horizon League Tournament Champions 

Round 1- 77-59 over UTEP

Round 2- 54-52 over Murray State

Best Players: Gordon Hayward 15.2-8.3 Shelvin Mack 14.1-3.6-3.1 assists-1.3 steals

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 49/10

Prediction: Ken Pom has Syracuse by 4, with the Orange winning 67% of the time. I really love Butler, but I don't think that they have the fire power to topple the Orange. 71-62 Syracuse. 

9:37 PM (Estimated) 30 minutes after game 1

2 Kansas State v. 7 Xavier

2 Kansas State Wildcats 28-7

How they got here: At large (Big 12 2nd Place)

Round 1- 82-62 over North Texas

Round 2- 84-72 over Brigham Young

Best Players: Jacob Pullen 19.2-3.5 assists-1.7 steals Denis Clemente 16.3-4.2 assists

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 14/12

6 Xavier Musketeers 26-8

How they got here: At large (A-10 2nd Place)

Round 1- 65-54 over Minnesota

Round 2- 71-68 over Pittsburgh 

Best Players: Jordan Crawford 20.2-4.8-2.9 assists Jason Love 11.8-8.5-1.5 blocks

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 17/34

Prediction: Ken Pom has KSU by 3, winning 61% of the time. These foes matched up in December in a kinda boring brick and free throw fest. I think that Kansas State has the guns to beat X, but I'm going with the Muskies in an upset. I'm thinking 78-74 Xavier.

East

7:27 PM

2 West Virginia v. 11 Washington

2 West Virginia Mountaineers 29-6

How they got here: Big East Tournament Champions

Round 1- 77-50 over Morgan State

Round 2- 68-59 over Missouri 

Best Players: Da'Sean Butler 17.5-6.2-3.3 assists Kevin Jones 13.6-7.2

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 12/23

11 Washington Huskies 26-9

How they got here: Pac 10 Tournament Champions 

Round 1- 80-78 over Marquette

Round 2- 82-64 over New Mexico

Best Players: Quincy Pondexter 19.7-7.5 Isaiah Thomas 17.1-4-3.1 assists 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 25/36

Prediction: Ken Pom has WVU by 4, winning 66% of the time. West Virginia is missing point guard Truck Bryant, who is out with a broken foot. Who knows how much this is going to hurt Bob Huggins' squad. I think that it won't very much in this game. Washington played their best game of the tournament against New Mexico. Prediction: West Virginia 75-63

9:57 PM (Estimated) 30 minutes after game 1

1 Kentucky v. 12 Cornell

1 Kentucky Wildcats 34-2

How they got here: SEC Tournament Champions

Round 1- 100-71 over East Tennessee State

Round 2- 90-60 over Wake Forest 

Best Players: John Wall 16.8-4.1-6.5 assists DeMarcus Cousins 15.1-10-1.9 blocks 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 10/9

12 Cornell Big Red 29-4

How they got here: Ivy League Champions

Round 1- 78-65 over Temple

Round 2- 87-69 over Wisconsin

Best Players: Ryan Wittman 17.8-4 Louis Dale 12.6-4.8 assists-1.3 steals

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 9/132

Prediction: Ken Pom has Kentucky by 9, with an 80% win probability. Cornell moved up 19 spots in offensive rank with their extraordinary dissection of Temple and Wisconsin. I joked on twitter that Cornell would shoot 8%, and blow it against Kentucky, but I think they can hang tough. I think that they do, but Kentucky pulls away late. I think tonight, we're all preppy, douche bag Cornell fans. Prediction: Kentucky 70-60

Breaking Down the Brackets: East

Even though the Cincinnati Bearcats are in the NIT, does not mean that you won't get an awesome NCAA Tournament preview. We kicked things off with games in the South, now we're onto the East region. Before you jump in, sign up for the Bearcats Blog Tournament Challenge. It's on ESPN.com. Search for Bearcats Blog, or click here. Stats by Ken Pomeroy.

East

1 Kentucky Wildcats 32-2

How they got here: SEC Tournament Champions

Best Players: John Wall 16.9-4.2-6.4 assists DeMarcus Cousins 15.3-10.1-1.8 blocks 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 18/10

16 East Tennessee St. Buccaneers 20-14

How they got here: Atlantic Sun Tournament Champions 

Best Players: Tommy Hubbard 14.1-8.3 Micah Williams 12.5-3.3 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 196/88

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): Kentucky by 17. Of course, if not more. 

8 Texas Longhorns 24-9

How they got here: At large (Big 12 6th place tie)

Best Players: Damion James 18-10.4-1.8 steals-1.2 blocks Avery Bradley 11.7-2.9 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 26/26

9 Wake Forest Demon Deacons 19-10

How they got here: At large (ACC 6th place tie)

Best Players: Al-Farouq Aminu 15.7-10.7-1.5 steals-1.5 blocks Ishmael Smith 13.3-4.7-6 assists-1.8 steals

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 96/25

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): Texas by 5. Wake has been sliding badly as of late, but Texas has also stunk since being number 1. The Longhorns are too talented in my book though.

4 Wisconsin Badgers 23-8

How they got here: At large (Big 10 4th place)

Best Players: Trevon Hughes 15.4-4.6-2.7 assists-1.7 steals Jon Leuer 14.8-5.8-1.4 blocks

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 13/7

13 Wofford Terriers  26-8

How they got here: Southern Conference Tournament Champions

Best Players: Noah Dahlman 16.8-6.3 Jamar Diggs 9.4-2.9-2.6 assists

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 149/56

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): Wisconsin by 11. Agreed. This game should be boring, I hope I don't have to watch much of it.

5 Temple Owls 29-5

How they got here: Atlantic 10 Tournament Champions

Best Players: Ryan Brooks 14.3-4.4 Juan Fernandez 12.6-2.4-3.6

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 77/3

12 Cornell Big Red 27-4

How they got here: Ivy League Champions

Best Players: Ryan Wittman 17.5-4 Jeff Foote 12.3-8.2-1.9 blocks

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 28/138

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): Temple by 5. Jay Bilas picked Cornell to go the Elite 8. I love me some Bilas, but that's crazy. I think Temple locks them up in round 1.

2 West Virginia Mountaineers 27-6

How they got here: Big East Tournament Champions

Best Players: Da'Sean Butler 17.4-6.3-3.3 assists Kevin Jones 13.5-7.1

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 11/24

15 Morgan St. Bears  27-9

How they got here: MEAC Tournament Champions

Best Players: Reggie Holmes 21.8-4.3-1.5 steals Kevin Thompson 12.8-11.9-1.4 blocks

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 136/190

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): West Virginia by 16. Yes, if not more.

7 Clemson Tigers 21-10

How they got here: At large (ACC 6th place tie)

Best Players: Trevor Booker 15.3-8.3-1.4 blocks Demontez Stitt 11.1-3.2 assists 1.5 steals

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 47/9

10 Missouri Tigers 22-10

How they got here: At large (Big 12 5th place)

Best Players: Kim English 13.9-3.4-1.4 steals Marcus Denmon 10.8-3.1

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 50/12

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): Clemson by 1. In this toss up, I like the Tigers, LOL. Feel free to punch anyone who actually says that in the throat. I'm going with Missouri.


3 New Mexico Lobos 29-4

How they got here: At large (MWC Regular Season Champions)

Best Players: Darrington Hobson 16.2-9.2-4.6 assists-1.3 steals Roman Martinez 13.8-6-1.5 steals

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 21/87

14 Montana Grizzlies 22-9

How they got here: Big Sky Tournament Champions

Best Players: Anthony Johnson 19.6-3.3-3 assists Brian Qvale 9.6-6.9-2 blocks 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 110/121

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): New Mexico by 7. I think New Mexico wins by more.

6 Marquette Golden Eagles 22-11

How they got here: At large (Big East 5th place)

Best Players: Lazar Hayward 18.1-7.7-1.8 steals Jimmy Butler 14.9-6.4 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 22/48

11 Washington Huskies 24-9

How they got here: Pac 10 Tournament Champions 

Best Players: Quincy Pondexter 19.8-7.5 Isaiah Thomas 17.1-4.1-2.9 assists 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 32/38

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): Marquette by 1. In this toss up, I'm going to go Big East. Sorry Huskies. 

Big East Tournament Day 5 Recap

3 West Virginia 60 8 Georgetown 58 - Da'Sean Butler hit a runner with 4 seconds left to give West Virginia their first Big East Tournament title. Butler won the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Butler scored his basket after Chris Wright tied the score on a lay up for Georgetown. Wright missed a lay up that would have tied the score at the buzzer. Wright also committed a foul with 27 seconds left with the score tied. Wright finished with 20-7 assists for the Hoyas. Austin Freeman had 14, including a 3 to tie the score with under a minute left. Butler led WVU with 20-6. Kevin Jones had 12, and Wellington Smith threw up a 11-10 double double. West Virginia has a case for a number 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. I think that it should probably go to them, although if it went to Duke, I wouldn't mind. 

It was really nice and really weird seeing Huggins so emotional when they won. I felt really good for him, and for West Virginia. You can tell that Bob Huggins really cares about his players, his school, and representing the state. I'm not saying that he didn't at Cincinnati, but West Virginia is his home. He was able to come home, and win. His relationship with Da'Sean Butler reminds me of the one he had with all the Cincinnati greats we watched suit up. It is great to see. I know most Cincinnati fans were pulling for Huggs, at least I was, and even though he's not our coach, and I'd like people to accept the fact, it was great seeing him succeed on that stage. I hope they play well in the NCAAs. Everything happens, and the way things happened Saturday night were pretty special. Congratulations West Virginia, congratulations Da'Sean Butler, and congratulations Bob Huggins. 

A couple other notes. I participated in the First Annual Big East Blogger Awards over at Voodoo 5. Our awards were a little different than the ones the Big East doled out. Check it out. I'll be doing an NCAA tournament breakdown in all probability. I love the big dance, and I'll put something together for it. I'll also have coverage for whatever tournament UC ends up in. I'll have their fate up tomorrow night. Be sure to check back, and thanks for reading. 

Big East Tournament Day 4 Recap

Day 4 of 742 saw uneven action Friday night. The Big East Championship game will be played on Saturday night at 9pm. It will be televised on ESPN. I may or may not be watching, it depends on how interested I am in the Manny Pacquiao v. Joshua Clottey fight. That was crucial.com information right there. I picked West Virginia to win the Big East tournament, and that's what it looks like might happen. Will I pick it? Maybe, my prediction is at the bottom. It's an outspoken prediction on this outspoken site. Right CNati? In all seriousness, thank them for the link. I would not have blogged angry though. If I wrote the WVU-UC recap Thursday night, it would have been full of tears, and me going 'whyyyyyy, whyyyyyyy'? Let's also thank our great friends over at Card Chronicle. They linked the amazing Louisville preview on their main page, and they are great guys, and girls.

8 Georgetown 80 5 Marquette 57- The game was close at halftime, but the Hoyas laid the smack down on the Golden Eagles in the second half. The Hoyas had the lead from the get go, with a 7-0 run to start. They also led 15-4 before Marquette came back. The score at the 13 minute mark was 48-47, meaning the Hoyas closed out with a 32-10 run. Greg Monroe put on a show with 23-13-7 assists-2 blocks. Chris Wright and Jason Clark had 15, and Austin Freeman 12-8. Georgetown shot 53%.  Marquette shot 35% in the losing effort. Jimmy Butler had 17-5, Maurice Acker 16, and Lazar Hayward 15.

3 West Virginia 53 7 Notre Dame 51 - Another game in the 50s for the Mountaineers was decided on a 3 at the end. This time, it was Tory Jackson of Notre Dame taking it, and he missed. Notre Dame was down 10 with 5 minutes to go before chipping back. Cincinnati and Notre Dame have laid out how to play West Virginia. If they see a team who will slow it down in the NCAA Tournament, it could be another early exit. Ben Hansbrough had 17 to lead Notre Dame, while Luke Harangody added 10 off the bench. Tory Jackson had 7-7 assists. Da'Sean Butler put up 24-7 for the winning Mountaineers, Kevin Jones had 10, and Devin Ebanks 8-7.

Final 
8 Georgetown v. 3 West Virginia - I see this game being a closely played affair. West Virginia blew the doors off the Hoyas last week, but that was with Freeman gone. He's come back, and Georgetown has been explosive. Explosive enough to spring the upset? I don't think so. I think West Virginia wins their first Big East Championship 65-61

West Virginia 54 Cincinnati 51 (With Video)

(Craig Ruttle)

In a game that instantly makes the worst losses I remember list, West Virginia got a bank shot buzzer beater from 1st team All Big East selection Da'Sean Butler to knock the Bearcats out of the Big East Tournament. Cincinnati is off to the NIT or something, but god damn were they fun to watch the past 3 days. Cincinnati played their hearts, doing nearly all that it took to pull off their second upset. Unfortunately, Cincinnati has yet another Big East Tournament highlight of someone hitting a 3 on them at the buzzer. That was because of Dion Dixon pulling a Charles Williams and losing the ball out of bounds with 3 seconds left. I know that my best friend feels terrible about it, but that's the type of play that is going to hound him for a while. Not forever like Charles Williams because it wasn't against Xavier, but for a long time. Keep your chin up 3. Let's get to the recap. There are video highlights at the bottom if you want to vomit. 

The game started off terribly for the Bearcats. Kevin Jones made a bucket inside, Devin Ebanks scored and drew a foul, but missed the free throw, and Ebanks made a twisting, falling shot with his ass nearly on the ground with a foul, that he made around 1 Lance Stephenson free throw for a 7-1 lead. Dion Dixon drew a foul and knocked down both shots, but Jones came right back with another jumper. Da'Sean Butler netted one after the under 16, followed by a Wellington Smith put back for a 13-3 lead. Cincinnati called a timeout, and out of the break, they got another made free throw from Darnell Wilks on a good look for Larry Davis. Kevin Jones came back down and hit a turnaround over Dixon, Dixon had a pass deflected leading to a WVU break, with Ebanks getting fouled and making both, followed by a Butler jumper for an 18-4 lead. Cincinnati was 0-10 from the field. They scored their first field goal at 9:17 on a Stephenson lay up. That lay up started a run. Deonta Vaughn hit a 3 to cut the lead in half, Lance scored on a tip, and followed that with a lay up for a 9-0 run. Butler broke the run with a 3, but Vaughn got it back for Cincinnati. The Bearcats continued chipping at the lead with a Ibrahima Thomas put back, and a vicious dunk for Darnell Wilks from Cash on a 4 on 1 break. Casey Mitchell made a jump shot to try and stem momentum, but Larry Davis, Larry Davis!, hit a 3 from the left wing to tie. It was his first 3 in 12 attempts, and first since 1983. West Virginia shook that 19-5 run when Jonnie West, yes Jerry West, the Logo's, son rattled home a 3 at the buzzer for a 26-23 lead. The half was really sloppy, and I would have written about it more, but I got hit by one of the bricks and had a slight concussion.

Cincinnati shot 8-25, 3-7, and 4-6 at the stripe, with 16 rebounds, 4 offensive. Lance Stephenson had 7-4, Deonta Vaughn 6-3, Larry Davis 3, Darnell Wilks 3, Dion Dixon 2, and Ibrahima Thomas 2. West Virginia was 11-30, 2-10, 3-5 at the line, with 18 rebounds, 5 offensive. Da'Sean Butler led the way with 7-3-2 assists, Devin Ebanks 6, Kevin Jones 6, Jonnie West 3, Wellington Smith 2-6-2 blocks, and Casey Mitchell had 2.

Mick Cronin made a questionable coaching decision at start half 2. He put back in the 5 starters. UC was rolling with Wilks, Gates, Stephenson, Vaughn, Cash, Thomas and some Parker. But it was Parker, Vaughn, Stephenson, Thomas and Gates to start, and WVU immediately went up 7. Truck Bryant scored a forced runner off glass, and Jones drew a foul, making both. Yancy Gates drew a foul and made both for UC, who started 0-7 from the field. The Mountaineers were not much better though. Jones made a put back, added with a Cam Throughman free throw, West Virginia lead 33-25. UC cut 3 points into the lead with 2 free throws by Cash and 1 by Gates, but Butler was having none of that and made a 3. Cash has come a long way, but he dribbles the ball way too god damn much. He dribbled into some turnovers, including an over and back, and dribbles out of plays. Back to the action, UC scored their first field goal at 12:35 on a Gates turnaround. Gates scored again inside after the under 12 timeout, and UC cut the lead to 36-34 when Stephenson was fouled and made both free throws. West Virginia ran the lead back up with a Wellington Smith turner, adding a Butler lay up on excellent screening. Stephenson drilled a jumper from the top of the key, but the Cats couldn't hold serve as Jones drew a foul, making 1 of 2. UC missed a couple of tip in attempts, but on the other end Ebanks did not for a 43-36 lead at 7:30. Ibby Thomas, god love him, can't make put backs. After he missed yet another, Kevin Jones scored inside. Stephenson scored on a runner, but the lead went back to 9 on Ebanks free throws. Cincinnati would make a crunch time stand. Yancy Gates scored with some nice passing from his teammates, Lance hit a runner, WVU blew an open layup, Stephenson drove into the lane, kicked out to Vaughn for a 3 from the right corner. It was 47-45 with 3:19 left. Darnell Wilks tied the score on a tip in, following a Mountaineer turnover capping another 9-0 run. The Mountaineers got a jump shot from Kevin Jones from inside the foul line to take the lead. With under 1:45 left, Stephenson drove to the rim, drew a foul, but only made 1 of 2. Cincinnati played tough defense, causing the ball to hit the floor. Da'Sean Butler got down, threw a sitting pass to Jones for a lay up with 1 second remaining on the shot clock. UC wouldn't let that be the backbreaker. Out of a timeout, Lance Stephenson drilled a crossover 3 with 42 seconds left. 20% three point shooter Lance Stephenson. With confidence. West Virginia couldn't handle the Cincinnati defense. Devin Ebanks couldn't get a shot off and with 6.4, the Mountaineers were forced into a shot clock violation. For some reason, Cincinnati had Vaughn inbounding, Stephenson, Gates, Dixon and I think Larry Davis in the game. Why they didn't have Cash, or Parker in I have no idea. The ball went to Dixon, and when he turned up court in front of the WVU bench, he lost the ball. Butler poked it out off him, and the Mountaineers had a shot with 3 seconds left. Mick curiously didn't guard the inbound. A clean pass to Butler was made. Despite Lance Stephenson being in his jock, Butler banked it in for the win.

Cincinnati shot 17-51 33%, 5-14, 12-16, with 34 rebounds, 14 offensive. Lance Stephenson had 19-7, Yancy Gates 11-7, Deonta Vaughn 9, Darnell Wilks 3, Larry Davis 3, Cashmere Wright 2 (and 5 turnovers), Ibrahima Thomas 2-5, and Dion Dixon 2. West Virginia was 21-60 35%, 4-20, 8-13, with 34 rebounds, 14 on offense. They were powered by 17-6 from Kevin Jones, Da'Sean Butler 15-6-5 assists, Devin Ebanks 10-6-5 assists, Wellington Smith 4-6, Jonnie West 3, Truck Bryant 2-5-3 assists, Casey Mitchell 2, and Cam Throughman 1. 

This was a gut punch, followed by a nut punch. Cincinnati showed some life in the Big East tournament. Lance Stephenson especially played great. I hope he didn't play great enough to change his mind about going pro, because a team with him at the lead is something I want to see next season. Our boys played really hard, they just came up a little short.. 

Big East Tournament Day 3 Recap

Day 3 of 75 is in the books for the Big East Tournament. Why do I capitalize tournament sometimes and not others? I don't know, stop asking annoying questions. People don't like it. The predictions went to hell, as the top seeds had a really rough day. How rough? That's why we do the recaps. My prediction for Georgetown-Marquette is at the bottom, as is my prediction from Monday of Notre Dame-West Virginia.

8 Georgetown 91 1 Syracuse 84 - Not only did the Hoyas pull a second half rally on the Orange, but big man Arinze Oruaku went down. Doctors have said it's a strained knee, but who knows? The Hoyas turned the tables with a 17-2 run. The lead got to 7 with 3 minutes to go on an Austin Freeman lay up, and the Hoyas held on. They were powered by 27-6-6 assists by Chris Wright. Austin Freeman had 18, Jason Clark 17, and Greg Monroe 15-10-7 assists. The Orange were powered by 24-7 from the Big East Player of the Year Wesley Johnson. Scoop Jardine had 19, Kris Joseph 18-6, and Andy Rautins 14-10. No team has won a national title without winning a conference tournament game, but things like that are meant to be broken.

5 Marquette 80 4 Villanova 76 - Marquette finally turned the tables on Villanova, as they pulled out a close one against the Wildcats after losing a pair of close ones earlier this year. Lazar Hayward hit a huge 3 for the lead seconds after Corey Stokes tied the score for the Wildcats. There were 18 made 3s in the game, 11 for Marquette. The Golden Eagles were led by Darius Johnson-Odom's 24-5 assists, Lazar Hayward's 20-7, and 17 from David Cubillan. Nova was led by 22 from Stokes, and 16 from Corey Fisher.

Up next: 8 Georgetown v. 5 Marquette (ESPN 7 pm)


7 Notre Dame 50 2 Pittsburgh 45 - Slow-tre Dame put that nickname in full use, as the second half score was 18-16. The Irish luckily had a 3 point lead at the half, as you can tell. The Irish took a 5-4 lead 2:20 into the game, and never relented the lead. Pitt had the lead cut to once a couple times, and 2 late in the game. Luke Harangody travelled, but Brad Wanamaker missed a lay up. Gilbert Brown got a Panther steal, but Jermaine Dixon missed a tying jumper. Harangody got the rebound and made a pair of free throws to ice it. Harangody and Tory Jackson both had 12, but Tyrone Nash had the best statistical game with 8-6-6 assists. The assists were a career high. The Panthers were led by 16 by Brad Wanamaker and 10-5 for Dixon. Let it be known I picked Notre Dame by 5.

3 West Virginia 54 11 Cincinnati 51 - Sigh. This will be covered later.

Up next: 7 Notre Dame v. 3 West Virginia (ESPN 20 min after first game) 


Predictions
Marquette 70 Georgetown 62
West Virginia 77 Notre Dame 69