2014-2015 Ultimate what-if sports NCAA Tournament

[collegesportsfanms]

I hope everybody has a happy Thanksgiving, I'll be off work the next 2 days, but when I get back on Friday, I will start working on the West Region.

[collegesportsfanms]

Sorry for the long delay, I've been crazy busy at work, so when I've been on the clock, I've actually been working my butt off instead of having time to work on this. But never fear, the Round of 128 games in the West Region begin now!

[collegesportsfanms]

#127 UNC Asheville (Big South, 6-4, +32) @ #2 Gonzaga (WCC, 10-0, +203)

Pre-Game

UNC Asheville just squeezed into the tournament by taking 3rd place in their group. They beat Maryland once, who was the ranked team in the group, and also beat group winner Washington once, so they've proved they can compete with the big boys. Gonzaga rolled through their group with ease. 7 of their 10 wins were by double digits, with the biggest one being a 41 point pounding of Central Connecticut.

Game

Gonzaga- 76, UNC Asheville- 67

This one turned out to be a lot closer than many people thought, as the Zags only led by 3 at halftime. Asheville's Andrew Rowsey led all scores with 25 in a losing effort, while Gonzaga was led by Kyle Wiltjer who had 19.

Just a heads up, my game reports on these next few games may be a tad shorter as I'm trying to get through the round of 128.

[collegesportsfanms]

#66 VCU (Atlantic 10, 7-3, +97) @ #63 Chattanooga (Southern, 8-2, +50)

Pre-Game

VCU finished 2nd in their group, losing to group winner South Dakota St. once, and also losing to Texas A&M-CC who finished last in the group. Chattanooga also finished 2nd in their group, losing a tiebreaker to group winner Colorado on point differential. The 2 losses for them were once to group winner Colorado, and once to group favorite and 3rd place finisher Wisconsin.

Game

Chattanooga- 85, VCU- 75 (OT)

40 minutes wasn't enough to decide this one, as Chattanooga stormed back from a 9 point halftime deficit to force overtime, then completely dominated the extra 5 minutes. Ronrico White led all scorers with 28 for Chattanooga, while VCU's Melvin Johnson had 23 in a losing effort.

[collegesportsfanms]

#98 Valparaiso (Horizon, 6-4, +26) @ #31 Alabama (SEC, 8-2, +80)

Pre-Game

Valparaiso was part of a very ugly group that only saw 2 winning teams: them and group winner Murray State. They lost twice to Murray State, once to Monmouth, and once to Oral Roberts. Only 1 of those losses was a double digit loss. Alabama won their group, winning a tiebreaker over DePaul as they beat DePaul twice. Alabama's 2 losses were 5th place Elon and 3rd place Colorado State.

Game

Alabama- 75, Valparaiso- 65

Alabama rolled to an 18 point halftime lead as both teams shot over 45% from the field. It was really a difference of two halves, as Valpo couldn't hang onto the ball in the 1st half, and in the 2nd half Alabama started turning it over. Valpo was able to get it as close as 6 in the 2nd half, but no closer. They were led in scoring by Alec Peters who had 16. Alabama was led by Shannon Hale with 14, and also had a trio of players who scored 12.

[collegesportsfanms]

#95 Eastern Kentucky (Ohio Valley, 6-4, +34) @ #34 SMU (American, 8-2, +75)

Pre-Game

Eastern Kentucky won a tiebreaker to get 2nd place in their group, as they split with 3rd place finisher Central Michigan. Aside from a loss to Central Michigan, they also lost to group winner Iowa twice, and South Alabama once. 3 of their 4 losses were by double digits. SMU won their group by 1 game, losing to 3rd place Air Force once and 5th place Arizona State once. Those 2 losses were by a combined 9 points.

Game

SMU- 71, Eastern Kentucky- 66

A very tight game throughout, as it was tied at halftime and Eastern Kentucky put SMU on the ropes in the 2nd half, jumping out to a 10 point lead. SMU stormed back though, finishing the game on a 21-10 run. They were led by Nic Moore who had 20 points. Markus Kennedy added a double-double with 12 points, 14 boards. Eastern Kentucky was led by Erik Stutz, who had 16 in the losing effort.

[collegesportsfanms]

#114 East Tennessee State (Southern, 7-3, +56) @ #15 Georgetown (Big East, 9-1, +124)

Pre-Game

East Tennessee State lost a 3 team tiebreaker for the group title, losing out to UMass and Marquette. They lost to each of those schools once, and also account for the only win for UMass Lowell in group play. Georgetown lost their only game by 1 lousy point against UC Irvine.

Game

East Tennessee State- 75, Georgetown- 73 (OT)

A stunner here as Georgetown led by 7 at halftime but needed a late three pointer to force overtime. East Tennessee State got the game winner from Isaac Banks with 2 seconds left in the extra frame. Rashawn Rembert led them with 20, while Georgetown was led by Joshua Smith who had 14.

[collegesportsfanms]

#79 Virginia Tech (ACC, 7-3, +42) @ #50 Cincinnati (American, 7-3, +42)

Pre-Game

Virginia Tech finished 2nd in their group, losing twice to group winner Kentucky and once to Akron. They played Kentucky tough both games though, only losing by 13 and 7. Cincinnati won their group by a game, losing their first 2 games of group play then winning 7 of their last 8, so they are hot coming into this game.

Game

Cincinnati- 59, Virginia Tech- 46

This game was actually much closer than the score indicates, as Cincinnati put it away with a 13-4 run to end the game. They held Virginia Tech to just 36.7% shooting and were led by Gary Clark and Farad Cobb who each had 10. Justin Bibbs of Virginia Tech led all scorers with 14 in a losing effort.

[collegesportsfanms]

#111 Vanderbilt (SEC, 5-5, +19) @ #18 Virginia (ACC, 9-1, +109)

Pre-Game

Vanderbilt finished in a 3 way tie for 2nd place in their group, but got 2nd place due to tiebreakers. They are one of only two teams in the round of 128 that had a 5-5 record. You might as well say they backed their way into this tournament, as they lost their last 2 games but got lucky with the tiebreakers. Virginia saw their chance for an undefeated run in group play end on game 10, as they lost by 5 to Bowling Green. They still won their group with ease, winning all but 2 of their games by double digits.

Game

Virginia- 71, Vanderbilt- 67

Vanderbilt proved to be a very pesky foe in this one, as Virginia could never build more than an 8 point lead. Vandy got it down to 2 with 8 seconds left, but couldn't get the steal they needed and had to foul. Malcolm Brogdon made 2 free throws to seal the deal. Justin Anderson was the leading scorer for Virginia, as he had 18. Vanderbilt was led by Riley LaChance, who led all scorers with 19.

[collegesportsfanms]

#82 Western Kentucky (Conference USA, 7-3, +33) @ #47 Eastern Michigan (MAC, 7-3, +62)

Pre-Game

Western Kentucky finished 2nd in their group, but they did hand group winner Kansas their only loss. However, they lost to Morgan State and Georgia Southern, really damaging any chance they had to win the group. Eastern Michigan won a tiebreaker for their group title as they swept 2nd place team San Diego State. They lost their first game to Cal Poly and also lost to Nicholls State and High Point.

Game

Eastern Michigan- 71, Western Kentucky- 48

Take away the 1st half and this was a good game. Eastern Michigan led by 20 at the half and cruised to victory, forcing 17 Western Kentucky turnovers and holding them to 34.5% shooting. Raven Lee and Mike Talley each had 17 to lead Eastern Michigan, while Western Kentucky was led by George Fant and Chris Harrison-Docks who each had 10.

[collegesportsfanms]

#122 High Point (Big South, 6-4, +50) @ #7 Murray State (Ohio Valley, 10-0, +118)

Pre-Game

High Point got a wildcard spot out of their group, as 3 of their 4 losses came to the top 2 teams in the group, San Diego State and Eastern Michigan. Their other loss came to Nicholls State by 2 points. Murray State completely dominated their group, winning it by 4 games. OK, so dominated may not be the right word since half of their wins were by 9 points or less, but they did finish undefeated, and only 8 teams did that.

Game

Murray State- 75, High Point- 67

This one looked all but over as Murray State raced to a 17 point halftime lead. High Point wouldn't go down easily though, cutting the lead to 5 late in the 2nd half, but Murray State held strong. They were led by Jarvis Williams who had 17, while John Brown led High Point with 15 in a losing effort.

[collegesportsfanms]

#71 Marquette (Big East, 7-3, +65) @ #58 TCU (Big 12, 8-2, +99)

Pre-Game

Marquette finished 2nd in the group, actually losing a 3 way tiebreaker for 1st to group winner UMass, but winning the 2 way tiebreaker for 2nd. They lost both to UMass and 1 to 3rd place team East Tennessee State. 2 of their 3 losses were by double digits. TCU tied for their group title, but lost the tiebreaker to group champ Sam Houston, as they split with them but had a much lower point differential. Their other loss was to 5th place Colgate, in overtime.

Game

Marquette- 79, TCU- 75 (OT)

It looked like Marquette was going to pull away, but a 24-13 run by TCU in the last 8 minutes sent the game to overtime. In fact, if not for a Derrick Wilson bank shot with 10 seconds left and a missed three point attempt by TCU at the buzzer, they would have completed the comeback. Marquette got a couple key steals in overtime to get the win, and were led by Matt Carlino, who tore it up with 28 points. Duane Wilson and Luke Fischer added 16 a piece. TCU was led by Kyan Anderson who was their only double figure scorer with 17.

[collegesportsfanms]

#103 Western Carolina (Southern, 6-4, +12) @ #26 Ohio State (Big 10, 8-2, +103)

Pre-Game

Western Carolina was 1 of only 2 winning teams in their group, finishing 2nd place, 3 games behind group winner Virginia. Ohio State tied with Florida for the group title, winning the tiebreaker by point differential, in a big way. 1 of their 2 losses was to Florida, the other was to Georgia Tech by 2 points.

Game

Ohio State- 64, Western Carolina- 60

This one was much closer than I anticipated. Western Carolina actually led late, but were doomed by 38.2% shooting. D'Angelo Russell led Ohio State with 18 points, while Western Carolina was led by James Sinclair who had 16.

[collegesportsfanms]

I am hoping to jump back into this project very soon, within the next day or two. I've again been hit with a temporary shutdown at the job and haven't had access to the paperwork, but I'm going in tomorrow and if I don't resume it tomorrow, I will at least get the paperwork and work on it a bit over the weekend. My goal is to have the round of 128 done by next Wednesday or Thursday and get a good start on the next round. Be patient, I promise this will get finished!!

[collegesportsfanms]

#90 Portland (WCC, 6-4, +109) @ #39 UC Davis (Big West, 8-2, +57)

Pre-Game

Portland won a tiebreaker for 2nd place in their group, beating 3rd place Bryant twice. They only lost to group winner Cincinnati by a combined 6 points in 2 games. UC Davis won their group, with their only losses coming to 4th place Lipscomb and 2nd place Boise State.

Game

Portland- 81, UC Davis- 77 (OT)

Portland had to come from behind as they trailed by 10 with 7 minutes to go. A three pointer with 13 seconds left got it to OT in which they took care of business. They were led by Kevin Bailey who had 18. Corey Hawkins of UC Davis led all scorers with 29 in a losing effort.

[collegesportsfanms]

#119 Incarnate Word (Southland, 6-4, +74) @ #10 North Carolina (ACC, 9-1, +162)

Pre-Game

Incarnate Word took 3rd place in their group and really had a nice point differential. 3 of their 4 losses were to the top 2 teams in the group, with their 4th loss being to 4th place Wofford. North Carolina won their group, losing just once in group play. That loss was a 12 point loss to 2nd place finisher New Mexico State.

Game

North Carolina- 87, Incarnate Word- 76

This one turned into an old fashioned shootout in the 2nd half as neither team could miss. The Tarheels shot 56.5% from the field, and were led by Marcus Paige who had 20. Kennedy Meeks and J.P. Tokoto each had double-doubles, and Tokoto was 1 assist away from a triple-double. Incarnate Word was led by Denzel Livingston who had 19.

[collegesportsfanms]

#74 Purdue (Big 10, 7-3, +58) @ #55 Ole Miss (SEC, 6-4, +46)

Pre-Game

Purdue lost to group winner LSU by 4 in their last group play game. That game decided the group title and Purdue took 2nd. Ole Miss won their group with a 6-4 record in what was really a pitiful group.

Game

Purdue- 90, Ole Miss- 83 (OT)

Another overtime game and another shootout. The difference in this one was at the FT line. Purdue was 34-41 from the charity stripe while Ole Miss was just 14-16. Holy moly that's a huge disparity! Purdue was led by A.J. Hammons who had 26, while Ole Miss was led by Stefan Moody who had 23.

[collegesportsfanms]

#106 Wake Forest (ACC, 6-4, +6) @ #23 Sam Houston (Southland, 8-2, +129)

Pre-Game

Wake Forest finished 2nd in their group, losing their first 2 games to Indiana State and Michigan before getting it going. Sam Houston won a points differential tiebreaker to win their group, as they split with 2nd place finisher TCU. Their other loss was to 3rd place finisher Butler.

Game

Wake Forest- 64, Sam Houston- 63

This one was close throughout as neither team could get bigger than a 6 point lead. Sam Houston broke a 61-61 tie with a bucket with 2 seconds left, but a half court three pointer from Codi Miller-McIntyre fell through, sending Wake Forest to the round of 64 and stunning Sam Houston. Miller-McIntyre led Wake Forest with 16 points while DeMarcus Gatlin led Sam Houston with 17.

[collegesportsfanms]

#87 Richmond (Atlantic 10, 7-3, +17), #42 South Dakota State (Summit, 8-2, +51)

Pre-Game

Richmond finished 2nd in their group, losing a points differential tiebreaker to group winner Tennessee Tech. Losing 3 of their last 5 after running through the first half of group play certainly didn't help their cause. South Dakota State won their group unexpectedly, winning 7 in a row before losing 2 of their last 3, which means both of these teams faded a bit down the stretch.

Game

Richmond- 66, South Dakota State- 58

Richmond jumped out to a 10 point halftime lead, actually leading by as many as 15 in the half. South Dakota State could never recover, and were led by Deondre Parks with 15 points. Richmond was led by Kendall Anthony who had 18 points.

This does eliminate the Summit Conference from the tournament, as South Dakota State was their only representative.

[collegesportsfanms]

To recap, the 16 surviving teams in the West Region are as follows: Gonzaga, Chattanooga, Alabama, SMU, East Tennessee State, Cincinnati, Virginia, Eastern Michigan, Murray State, Marquete, Ohio State, Portland, North Carolina, Purdue, Wake Forest, and Richmond.

Let's plug them into teamrankings.com and see where they end up.

The seedings and First Round Pods and Matchups are as follows:

Omaha, NE Pod

(16) East Tennessee St. vs. (1) Virginia
(9) Richmond vs. (8) Purdue

Jacksonville, FL Pod

(12) Wake Forest vs. (5) Ohio St.
(13) Marquette vs. (4) SMU
(11) Chattanooga vs. (6) Cincinnati
(14) Eastern Michigan vs. (3) North Carolina

Portland, OR Pod

(10) Alabama vs. (7) Murray State
(15) Portland vs. (2) Gonzaga

The Jacksonville, FL Pod is the only pod to have all of its games in the same region. Every other pod has split regions.

[bbgunn]

Bama!

[collegesportsfanms]

It's time to start the South Region games in the Round of 128, so here we go:

#126 Air Force (Mountain West, 6-4, +37) @ #3 Villanova (Big East, 10-0, +176)

Pre-Game

Air Force took 3rd in their group, losing once to 4 of the other 5 teams in their group. Arizona State was the only team that Air Force swept. Villanova ran through their group easily to finish undefeated, just 11 points away from top overall seed Kentucky. That point differential could have easily been bigger, but 3 of their wins were by single digits, and another was by 10 points.

Game

Villanova- 81, Air Force- 66

This one was much closer than expected, as Nova only led by 1 at halftime. JayVaughn Pinkston led them with 20 points, while Air Force was led by Trevor Lyons who had 15.

[collegesportsfanms]

#67 Miami (FL) (ACC, 7-3, +85) @ #62 Florida (SEC, 8-2, +56)

Pre-Game

A nice in-state rivalry here, as Miami (FL) finished 2nd in their group, losing once to 3rd place UCLA, once to a surprising group winner Northwestern State, and their 3rd loss coming from St. Joseph's. Florida lost the tiebreaker for their group title, coming in 2nd place. They split with group winner Ohio State, but the Buckeyes had a much better point differential. Florida's other loss was to St. Louis in their opening game.

Game

Miami (FL)- 71, Florida- 58

Miami held the Gators to just 22 first half points and were led in scoring by Angel Rodriguez who had 18. Florida had 2 players in double figures: Kasey Hill and Dorian Finney-Smith each had 10 in a losing effort.

[collegesportsfanms]

#99 Hofstra (Colonial, 6-4, +26) @ #30 BYU (WCC, 8-2, +83)

Pre-Game

Hofstra finished 2nd in their group, 4 games behind group winner Indiana. They went into week 10 of group play in a 3 way tie for 2nd with Norfolk State and Harvard. Both those schools lost their games while Hofstra won theirs to get 2nd place outright. BYU won their group fairly easily, only losing to 5th place Fairleigh Dickinson in their opening game, and 2nd place Wake Forest.

Game

Hofstra- 72, BYU- 63

Hofstra stunned BYU with a 15-2 run out of the gates and held strong throughout. They were led in scoring by Ameen Tanksley who had 16. BYU was led by Kyle Collinsworth and Skyler Halford who each had 13. Collinsworth also added 14 rebounds for a double-double in a losing effort.

[collegesportsfanms]

#94 George Mason (Atlantic 10, 6-4, +42) @ #35 South Carolina (SEC, 8-2, +74)

Pre-Game

George Mason won a 3 way tie for 2nd in their group, winning 3 of 4 against 3rd and 4th place finishers Long Beach State and Western Michigan. South Carolina won their group, shocking group favorite Michigan State twice. Their 2 losses were to 4th place Florida Gulf Coast and 5th place Navy.

Game

South Carolina- 63, George Mason- 54

It wasn't easy as the Gamecocks had to rally from an 8 point halftime deficit, but they held George Mason to 37% shooting overall. Carolina was led in scoring by Tyrone Johnson who had 12, while George Mason was led by Jalen Jenkins who also had 12 in a losing effort.

[collegesportsfanms]

Because I wanted to get through the round of 128 and get into the pod play, I've done with the last 12 games of the round of 128 what I should have done all along. I'm just going to report the scores and get set for the next round. So here we go, to complete the round of 128 South Region:

(115) Winthrop- 73, (14) Georgia- 56
(78) Eastern Washington- 70, (51) Tennessee Tech- 62
(110) UCF- 77, (19) Davidson- 73
(83) Cleveland State- 64, (46) Nebraska- 61
(6) Indiana- 73, (123) Missouri- 70
(59) Oklahoma- 64, (70) San Diego State- 56
(27) Wichita State- 56, (102) Mississippi State- 53
(91) Michigan State- 74, (38) LSU- 68
(11) Morehead State- 60, (118) UMKC- 51
(75) St. Bonaventure- 51, (54) Kent State- 42
(22) Baylor- 63, (107) Stanford- 52
(86) Old Dominion- 68, (43) Northwestern State- 64

So that quickly completes the round of 128, I'll have the South Region bracket and Pod Match-ups later, as well as an update on how each conference is doing and how many teams each conference has left.

[collegesportsfanms]

So to recap, these are the teams advancing out of the South Region:

Villanova, Miami (FL), Hofstra, South Carolina, Winthrop, Eastern Washington
UCF, Cleveland State, Indiana, Oklahoma, Wichita State, Michigan State, Morehead State, St. Bonaventure, Baylor, Old Dominion.

The seedings and First Round pods and match-ups are as follows:

Charlotte, NC Pod

(16) UCF vs. (1) Villanova
(9) Eastern Washington vs. (8) Indiana

Portland, OR Pod

(12) Cleveland State vs. (5) Oklahoma
(13) Hofstra vs. (4) Baylor

Louisville, KY Pod

(11) St. Bonaventure vs. (6) Old Dominion
(14) Morehead State vs. (3) Michigan State

Seattle, WA Pod

(10) South Carolina vs. (7) Miami (FL)
(15) Winthrop vs. (2) Wichita State.

[collegesportsfanms]

Round of 64 Conference Breakdown

ACC- 7
Big 12- 5
Big East- 5
Big Ten- 5
Atlantic 10- 4
Pac 12- 4
WCC- 4
American- 3
Big West- 3
Missouri Valley- 3
Ohio Valley- 3
SEC- 3
Big Sky- 2
Colonial- 2
Conference USA- 2
Horizon- 2
Mountain West- 2
Southern- 2
Big South- 1
MAC- 1
Southland- 1

[collegesportsfanms]

Attached is a look at the Conference Challenge Standings through the round of 64. If anybody has a case of why the SEC isn't the most disappointing conference right now, please let me know. Having 12 teams in the Round of 128 but winning only 3 games is just... bad. Kudos to the MVC and Big Sky for keeping all their teams alive. Have a look.

[collegesportsfanms]

Hope everyone is still following along. There are currently 8 pod locations to go through for each of the first 2 rounds, and today I am doing a random drawing of the order in which the pods will be simmed for each round. Keep in mind this means I will not be going down the bracket in straight order. We could have 2 games from the South Region, then 2 from the East, and so on.

I will start simming the pods and reporting on them tomorrow.

[bbgunn]

I'm still here!

[collegesportsfanms]

1st Round Action- Columbus, OH Pod

Not that I'm cheating the way this works, but due to lack of time and wanting to get this finished because I have so much else going on, I'm not going to delegate games of the pod or anything like that, just going to give a short recap of every game. I hope that works for you guys.

Midwest Region

(12) UT Martin- 74, (5) Stephen F. Austin- 70 -- Stephen F. Austin had a 10 point halftime lead but absolutely horrid shooting in the second half, 23.7% to be exact, cost them. Thomas Walkup and Jared Johnson led them with 12, while UT Martin was led by Twymond Howard who had 17. Marshun Newell added 13 points and 10 assists, as this eliminates the Southland Conference from the tournament. SFA was their last representative.

(4) Louisville- 71, (13) Utah State- 67 -- The Cardinals used a 45-27 rebounding advantage to come back in this one as they trailed by double digits in the first half. 2 Louisville players had double doubles, as Montrezl Harrell had 24 points and 10 boards, while Terry Rozier had 13 points, 11 boards. Utah State was led by Darius Perkins who had 15.

So it'll be (12) UT Martin and (4) Louisville for the right to go to the Sweet Sixteen.


East Region

(6) Xavier- 84, (11) UC Irvine- 75 -- The difference in this one was at the line, as Xavier made 21 free throws to just 10 for UC Irvine. Xavier was led by Trevon Bluiett who had 19 points, while UC Irvine was led by Alex Young who had 15 points.

(14) Sacramento State- 65, (3) Maryland- 56 -- A shocker here as Sac State was up by 18 at halftime, taking advantage of the fact that the Terps were just 2-16 from behind the arc! Wow! Maryland tried to creep back in the second half, but every time they went on a run, Sac State would hit a big shot. They were led in scoring by Dylan Garrity and Mikh McKinney who each had 16, and Nick Hornsby put in a double-double with 10 points, 11 boards. Dez Wells led Maryland with 21 points in a shocking loss.

It'll be (14) Sacramento State vs. (6) Xavier for a Sweet Sixteen appearance.

[collegesportsfanms]

First Round Action- Charlotte, NC Pod

East Region

(10) St. Mary's- 70, (7) Dayton- 59 -- St. Mary's had a 37-27 rebounding advantage and hit 8 more free throws than Dayton, otherwise the stats were pretty even. The Gaels were led by Brad Waldow who had 18, while Dyshawn Pierre led Dayton with 17.

(2) Kansas- 55, (15) Missouri State- 45 -- The Jayhawks held Missouri State to just 31.9% shooting while shooting 42.6% themselves in a defense battle. KU was led by Frank Mason and Wayne Selden who had 10 points each, while Missouri State was led by Dorrian Williams who had 12 points.

So it'll be (10) St. Mary's vs. (2) Kansas for a Sweet Sixteen berth.


South Region

(1) Villanova- 66, (16) UCF- 61 -- This one did not come easy for Nova, who trailed 45-44 with 9 and a half minutes to go. Then, they proceeded to score the next 14 points to give themselves a nice cushion, but UCF fought back and cut it back down to 4, but Nova hit all their free throws down the stretch. They were led by JayVaughn Pinkston who had 18. Daniel Ochefu had a double-double with 10 points, 10 boards. UCF had 1 player in double figures, and that was B.J. Taylor who had 18.

(8) Indiana- 77, (9) Eastern Washington- 71 -- The Hoosiers put this one away in the first half, taking a 17 point lead into halftime. Eastern Washington could never recover, although they did get it down to 3 at one point. James Blackmon led Indiana with 22 points, while Eastern Washington was led by Drew Brandon who had 19.

So it'll be (8) Indiana vs. (1) Villanova for a Sweet Sixteen berth.

[collegesportsfanms]

First Round Action- Jacksonville, FL Pod

West Region

(5) Ohio State- 81, (12) Wake Forest- 70 -- All 5 starters scored in double figures for the Buckeyes, who simply attempted and made more shots in this game. D'Angelo Russell led them with 19, while Wake Forest was led by Codi Miller-McIntyre who also had 19.

(13) Marquette- 69, (4) SMU- 53 -- Marquette went on a 14-2 run to start the second half and put the game away. They were led by Duane Wilson who had 16. SMU did not have a double figure scorer, being led by Ben Moore who had 8.

So it's (13) Marquette vs. (5) Ohio State for a Sweet Sixteen berth.

West Region

(6) Cincinnati- 55, (11) Chattanooga- 54 -- This one was a classic, as neither team led by more than 6 the entire game. Tre' McLean hit a three to cut the Cincy lead to 55-54, then missed another one at the buzzer. He finished with 5 points, and Chattanooga was led by Justin Tuoyo who had 17. Cincinnati used very balanced scoring. Nobody in double figures, but they had 3 players with 8 points and 3 players with 7 points.

(14) Eastern Michigan- 66, (3) North Carolina- 56 -- The Tarheels shot just 35.1% overall and 18.2% from the three point line as Eastern Michigan pulls the upset. Mike Talley had 21 to lead Eastern Michigan, while the North Carolina was led by Kennedy Meeks who had 16.

So it'll be (14) Eastern Michigan vs. (6) Cincinnati for a Sweet Sixteen berth.

[collegesportsfanms]

First Round Action- Omaha, NE Pod

Midwest Region

(7) St. John's- 88, (10) UC Santa Barbara- 84 (OT) -- Another classic here, as Rysheed Jordan gave the Red Storm hope by hitting a buzzer beating three, and St. John's made free throws in OT to advance. The Johnnies were led by Jordan who had 27, while UCSB was led by Alan Williams who not only had 22 points, but also had 20 rebounds for an explosive double-double. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough as the first UCSB loss of the entire tournament ends up eliminating them.

(2) Kentucky- 76, (15) San Francisco- 67 -- The Wildcats raced to a 19 point halftime lead and put it on cruise control from there. Karl-Anthony Towns led Kentucky with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while San Francisco's Tim Derksen led all scorers with 18.

So it'll be (7) St. John's vs. (2) Kentucky for a berth in the Sweet Sixteen.

West Region

(1) Virginia- 68, (16) East Tennessee State- 59 -- The only reason this game was close is because East Tennessee State hit 11 three pointers. If not for that, the Cavaliers would have ran away with it. Virginia did their damage at the line, hitting 19 free throws to just 8 for East Tennessee. Malcolm Brogdon led Virginia with 18 points, while East Tennessee State's Jalen Riley led all scorers with 19 in a losing effort. This, unfortunately, does eliminate the Southern Conference from the tournament, as East Tennessee was their last representative.

(8) Purdue- 65, (9) Richmond- 56 -- The Boilermakers overcame a 6 point halftime deficit, holding Richmond to less than 30% shooting in the second half. Rapheal Davis led Purdue with 16 points, while Richmond was led by Shawndre' Jones who had 15.

This sets up a battle between (8) Purdue vs. (1) Virginia for a Sweet Sixteen berth.

[collegesportsfanms]

First Round Action- Pittsburgh, PA Pod

Midwest Region

(6) Iowa- 74, (11) Washington- 60 -- After being tied at halftime, the Hawkeyes went on a 22-8 run midway through the second half to take control. Iowa was led in scoring by Aaron White who had 21, while Washington was led by Nigel Williams-Goss who had 17.

(14) Hawaii- 68, (3) Northern Iowa- 61 -- bbgunn is dancing in the streets with this result, as Hawaii led by as many as 13 in the second half, cruising to a fairly easy victory. Aaron Valdes and Isaac Fleming each had 10 to lead the Warriors, while UNI was led by Nate Buss who had 13.

So it'll be (14) Hawaii vs. (6) Iowa for a Sweet Sixteen berth.

East Region

(1) Arizona- 65, (16) Rice- 56 -- The Wildcats got a major scare in this one, as they were down by 6 at halftime and actually trailed by double digits at one point early in the second half. Then Arizona put the clamps down, forcing 12 second half turnovers to stave off embarrassment. They were led by Kaleb Tarczewski who had a double-double with 18 points, 13 boards. Rice was led by Seth Gearheart who had 14.

(8) Boise State- 51, (9) Rhode Island- 42 -- Boise State held the Rams to just 14 second half points in a dominating defensive performance. Rhode Island shot just 33.3% from the field and was led in scoring by Hassan Martin who had 13. Boise State was led by Derrick Marks who had 16, but James Webb III had a double-double with 10 points and 18 boards.

So it'll be (8) Boise State vs. (1) Arizona for a Sweet Sixteen berth.

[collegesportsfanms]

First Round Action- Louisville, KY Pod

Midwest Region

(1) Duke- 81, (16) DePaul- 56 -- A game that was close at halftime turned ugly in a hurry, as the Blue Devils erupted for 44 points in the second half. Overall they shot 51.9% and were led by Jahlil Okafor who had a double-double with 19 points, 14 rebounds.

(8) Texas- 73, (9) Green Bay- 47 -- This game was never in doubt as the Longhorns led by as many as 21 in the first half and cruised to victory. They were led by Demarcus Holland who had 19, and Cameron Ridley had a double-double with 11 points, 10 boards. Green Bay shot just 28.3% from the field and was led by Keifer Sykes who had 17.

So it'll be a big time matchup as (8) Texas and (1) Duke will square off for a Sweet Sixteen berth.

South Region

(6) Old Dominion- 55, (11) St. Bonaventure- 52 -- The best game of the pod so far, there were 8 ties and 11 lead changes. Old Dominion scored 5 of the last 7 points to get the victory and were led by Trey Freeman with 18. St. Bonaventure was led by Marcus Posley and his 17 points, and also had Youssou Ndoye posting a double-double with 12 points, 12 rebounds. This does eliminate the Atlantic 10 conference, as the Bonnies were their last representative.

(3) Michigan State- 72, (14) Morehead State- 63 -- The Spartans doubled up Morehead State from the free throw line, which proved to be a big difference in this one. Michigan State's Denzel Valentine went off for 26 points and Matt Costello added a 10 point, 11 rebound double-double. Morehead State was led by Karam Mashour who had 13.

It'll be (6) Old Dominion facing (3) Michigan State for a Sweet Sixteen berth.

[bbgunn]

Hawaii's doing well!

[Vince, Pt. II]

Originally Posted by collegesportsfanms

First Round Action- Omaha, NE Pod

Midwest Region

(7) St. John's- 88, (10) UC Santa Barbara- 84 (OT) -- Another classic here, as Rysheed Jordan gave the Red Storm hope by hitting a buzzer beating three, and St. John's made free throws in OT to advance. The Johnnies were led by Jordan who had 27, while UCSB was led by Alan Williams who not only had 22 points, but also had 20 rebounds for an explosive double-double. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough as the first UCSB loss of the entire tournament ends up eliminating them.

Boo!

[collegesportsfanms]

Just wanted to give everybody an update on this, as I still have 2 more pods to complete to finish off the round of 64. I have been having major issue with finding free time at work lately, and I am on my way out of town soon, but when I get back on Monday, I am going to work on getting this done, as I want to have it completed in time for March Madness.

The Round of 64 will be completed on Monday, and the Round of 32 will start on Tuesday. Thanks for reading.

[collegesportsfanms]

First Round Action- Seattle, WA Pod

East Region

(5) Utah- 66, (12) William & Mary- 47 -- The Utes blew this game open in the last 10 minutes, finishing on a 23-6 run to put it away. They were led by Brandon Taylor, who had 19 points, while W&M did not have a double digit scorer. They were led by Marcus Thornton who had 9.

(4) Iowa State- 72, (13) Colorado- 68 -- This battle of former Big 12 foes looked like it was going to be a one sided victory for the Buffaloes, who led by 13 at the half. Over the first 8 minutes of the second half, the Cyclones went on a 22-8 run to jump in the lead, and the game went back and forth but Iowa State prevailed! They were led by Monte Morris who had 23 points, while Colorado was led by Askia Booker, who had 16 points in a losing effort.

So this sets up (5) Utah and (4) Iowa State for a Sweet Sixteen berth.

South Region

(10) South Carolina- 67, (7) Miami (FL)- 60 -- Despite being outplayed for most of the game, South Carolina found a way to win by knocking down more free throws than the Hurricanes. That's really what this game came down to as the Gamecocks had more turnovers and were outrebounded. Miami attempted 10 more shots but just couldn't knock them down late. They were led by Angel Rodriguez who had 16 points, while South Carolina was led by Duane Notice who had 17.

(2) Wichita State- 69, (15) Winthrop- 66

A battle between Gregg Marshall's current team and former team, and his former team came very close to pulling the upset. This game feature 6 ties and 11 lead changes, and the Shockers actually stretched it to 10 at one point in the second half. Every time though, Winthrop came back, but turnovers in their last 2 possessions cost them a chance to win, as the current Gregg Marshall coached school survives. This does eliminate the Big South conference from the tournament, as Winthrop was their last representative.

So we'll have a dream match-up (for me anyways), as (10) South Carolina will take on (2) Wichita State for a Sweet Sixteen berth.

Obviously, Wichita State is my favorite team, being a hometown boy, but I had the pleasure of meeting Frank Martin when he was coaching at K-State. A lot of people knock him for his coaching style, but he's nothing but class off the court, and this is a game I'd love to see in real life.

[collegesportsfanms]

First Round Action- Portland, OR Pod

West Region

(7) Murray State- 77, (10) Alabama- 76 -- In what might be the game of the tournament so far, Alabama rallied from a 10 point halftime deficit to take the lead late, but Murray State's Cameron Payne drilled a three pointer to give them the 77-76 lead with 39 seconds left. Alabama had 4 chances to win it but just couldn't get a shot to fall and the Racers survive! Payne led Murray State with 15 points, and Jarvis Williams had a double-double with 14 points, 12 rebounds. Ricky Tarrant led Alabama with 17 points.

(2) Gonzaga- 82, (15) Portland- 59 -- When I was putting the bracket together, I completely missed that these 2 both play in the same conference, but oh well, that's the breaks. This was essentially a home game for Portland, but it didn't make a difference as the Zags took control early and never let up. They outrebounded Portland 40-23 and were led in scoring by Kevin Pangos who had 16. Kevin Bailey led Portland with 13 in a losing effort.

So we have a great non-power conference match-up in the Round of 32, as (7) Murray State and (2) Gonzaga will tangle for a Sweet Sixteen berth.

South Region

(12) Cleveland State- 61, Oklahoma- 51 -- The Sooners could not overcome bad shooting in this one, as they shot just 30.2% from the field and 15.8% from the three point line as Cleveland State pulls the second 12/5 upset of the tournament. They were led by Trey Lewis who had 24. Anton Grady added a double-double with 12 points, 10 boards. Oklahoma was led by Buddy Hield and TaShawn Thomas who each had 13 points, but Thomas added 12 rebounds for a double-double.

(4) Baylor- 74, (13) Hofstra- 60 -- No trouble for the Bears in this one, as they got a double digit lead midway through the first half and never let it slip to single digits again. They were led by Rico Gathers who had 21 points, while Hofstra was led by Juan'ya Green who had 14 points.

So we have (12) Cleveland State and (4) Baylor playing for a Sweet Sixteen berth, and the round of 64 is now complete!

[collegesportsfanms]

1 other major screw-up I had was through group play, I had Maryland correctly playing in the Big Ten, but when I started the round of 128, I somehow moved them to the ACC. They were actually a member of the Big Ten in the 2014-2015 season. This means that some of the charts are wrong, and I will be keeping them the way they are, but for my next conference challenge update and how many teams in each conference are left, I will have Maryland where they should have been. The Big Ten. Sorry about that, and I'm a little bummed that nobody else caught it either. But.. it's an easy fix, so nothing to worry about!

[collegesportsfanms]

Here is a look at how the conference challenge stands for the Round of 64 games only. Congrats to the MAC for keeping their only team alive. The Big Ten and the Big 12 were the big winners, losing only 1 team each, while the ACC came in with 6 and split 3-3. 5 conferences saw all their teams eliminated in the Round of 64, with the Atlantic 10 being the big loser, losing all 4 of their teams.

[collegesportsfanms]

Here is a look at the conference challenge standings including round of 128 and round of 64 games. As you can see, the Big Ten and the Big 12 are really in control of their own destiny, but if they lose a lot of teams in the Round of 32, and the Big Sky's lone representative can keep winning, who knows. Same with the MAC and their lone representative. And the Missouri Valley. Really though, with the Big Ten and Big 12 having the most teams remaining, the ball is in their court so to speak. Here's a look:

[collegesportsfanms]

Round of 32 Conference Breakdown

Big Ten- 5
Big 12- 4
ACC- 3
Big East- 3
American- 2
Ohio Valley- 2
Pac 12- 2
SEC- 2
WCC- 2
Big Sky- 1
Big West- 1
Conference USA- 1
Horizon- 1
MAC- 1
Missouri Valley- 1
Mountain West- 1

I think it's great that we have 16 conferences still represented and we are down to the Round of 32. Obviously the Big Ten and the Big 12 combined are just over 1/4 of the teams, and the SEC has been the most disappointing, but the fact it is still so represented just proves the kind of parity that college basketball has not only in real life but in WIS.

[collegesportsfanms]

With me out of the office the rest of the week and next Monday, the Round of 32 will now start next Tuesday. I want to get some interaction involved, so I am issuing a challenge. I have 3 questions that I am going to ask, and I'd like as many people to answer as possible. The person that gets the most questions right, or comes closest to the right answers, gets to choose what type of project I do next involving What If Sports. It can be NCAA basketball, NCAA football, MLB, NBA, NFL, or NHL. You name the sport and what you would like to see, and I'll make it happen. Now for the questions.

1. How many #1 seeds will advance to the Final Four?

2. Which #1 seed will be the first to lose?

3. Which of the double digits seeds remaining will advance the farthest? The double digit seeds remaining are UT Martin, Hawaii, Eastern Michigan, Sacramento State, Cleveland State, St. Mary's, and South Carolina.

I'll throw 2 bonus questions in there. Predict the following: Final Four, National Title Game, National Champion.

So let's see how many people have the guts to take my challenge. lol

[collegesportsfanms]

Second Round Action- Columbus, OH Pod

Midwest Region

(4) Louisville- 80, (12) UT Martin- 56 -- Louisville left no doubt in this one, shooting a whopping 58% from the field and 50% from the three point line to win this one easily. The Cardinals were led by Montrezl Harrell who had a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. UT Martin was lead by Deville Smith who had 15 points.

So Louisville advances to the Sweet Sixteen where they will take on the winner between (8) Texas and (1) Duke.

East Region

(6) Xavier- 69, (14) Sacramento State- 53 -- Shooting was the difference in this one as well, as Xavier made 27 shots compared to just 18 for Sac State. Rebounding was a huge difference too as Xavier won that battle 39-24. The Musketeers were led by Matt Stainbrook who had a double-double with 13 points and 12 boards. Cody Demps led Sacramento State with 13 points. They were the Big Sky's last representative, so the Big Sky is gone from the tournament.

Xavier advances to the Sweet Sixteen and will take on the winner of (10) St. Mary's and (2) Kansas.

[collegesportsfanms]

Second Round Action- Charlotte, NC Pod

East Region

(10) St. Mary's- 65, (2) Kansas- 53 -- The Gaels pull the first big Second Round upset, using a 41-31 advantage on the boards and holding Kansas to 34.6% shooting. Brad Waldow led the way for St. Mary's with 23 points, while the Jayhawks were led by Frank Mason III who had 13 points in a losing effort.

St. Mary's advances to the Sweet Sixteen and will take on (6) Xavier.

South Region

(1) Villanova- 86, (8) Indiana- 80 -- This one was tight all the way, with no team holding a double digit lead. Villanova stretched it to 9 once, but that was it. The Wildcats used an 8-0 run late in the game to stretch it to 9 before Indiana tried to come back, but Nova hit their free throws. They were led by Kris Jenkins who had 17 points, while the Hoosiers were led by Yogi Ferrell who had 15 points.

So Villanova advances to the Sweet Sixteen and will take on the winner of (12) Cleveland State and (4) Baylor.

[collegesportsfanms]

Second Round Action- Jacksonville, FL Pod

West Region

(5) Ohio State- 76, (13) Marquette- 60 -- The Buckeyes used a 40-22 rebounding edge and 20 second chance points to win this one pretty easily. They were led by Marc Loving who had 17 points, while Matt Carlino led led Marquette with 22 points.

Ohio State advances to the Sweet Sixteen to take on the winner between (8) Purdue and (1) Virginia.


(14) Eastern Michigan- 48, (6) Cincinnati- 38 -- We have our first Cinderella team in the Sweet Sixteen, as Cincinnati shot just 25.6% from the field and 12.5% from three point land, mustering just 38 points overall. The Bearcats were led by Troy Caupain who had 9, while Eastern Michigan was led by Raven lee who had 13. Unless I've screwed up again, this should eliminate the American Conference from the tournament, as Cincinnait should have been their last representative.

Eastern Michigan advances to the Sweet Sixteen where they will take on the winner of (7) Murray State and (2) Gonzaga.