Dreaming of the Dance: A College Hoops 2K8 Legacy

[saintrules]

Conference Game

March 7th, 2008

Parsons hero in buzzer beater walk-off win

Hanover, NH - With :06 left to play, down 79-82, the Bulldogs looked to none other than Josh Homan to keep them alive. Homan, who was 8-15 from deep already, somehow generated himself a wide open look at the top of the key and swished it through to tie the game. With no timeouts remaining, Alton Pandov threw the inbound pass to Theron Weaver who bolted up court with time quickly running out. Weaver was met with heavy resistance beyond the arc, preventing his drive. Out of what seemed to be pure desperation or a calculated risk, Weaver slung the ball towards Rashod Parsons who was in double coverage about seven feet out. With time literally expiring as the ball left his finger tips, Parsons did the only thing he could possibly do, jump his highest and say a little prayer.

In a blink of the eye, the Dartmouth Big Green & Rashod Parsons had done it, buzzer beater to defeat the Yale Bulldogs, 84-82, and keep their hopes alive in the Ivy League. Students, staff, faculty, parents, and fans, spilled out onto the court like Leede Arena had never seen before. "I can sit here and tell you I knew what I was doing", proclaimed Weaver, surrounded by hundreds of attending Big Green faithful. "But man, I just saw Rashod and, too be honest, I don't even think he realized the ball was coming his way, his body just went on autopilot!" Parsons, who has been the defensive leader for the Big Green, finally got an opportunity on the other side of the ball & made the most of it. "I told coach, I'm a shooter!", jokingly laughed Parsons. "But for real, there's no way I could have done that without the boys. Major, Theron, Cody, and Alton, those guys are the real deal for buckets, they just weren't expecting me". Expecting or not, hitting a game winner in double coverage is about as clutch as it gets.

"The buzzer beater aside, we looked like a team who is ready for this season to keep going", said Coach Laird Machado. Cody, Alton, and Nate, looked really good under the rim & even though our deep shots weren't hitting very well, we secured the game through other outlets." Those other outlets, Machado speaks of, have to do with the Big Green's ability to out rebound and assist their opposition, a feat they have been able to accomplish more times than not this season. With four scorers over 10 points a piece, Dartmouth has been able to keep teams guessing, despite also maintaining one of the nation's top scorers in Fraser.

The Big Green get without question their biggest win to the date. With the victory, Dartmouth moves to 8-5, still tied with 8-5 Columbia, but only one game back from Yale, at 9-4. The Bulldogs will take on the 5-8 Harvard Crimson in their final game & Dartmouth gets the 6-7 Brown Bears. A Yale loss and Dartmouth win gets the Big Green the big prize.

Yale Bulldogs at Dartmouth Big Green
Mar 7, 2008	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Yale (14-10)	40	42	82
Dartmouth (16-9)	37	47	84

Yale Bulldogs
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
H. Woolley	22	7-17	4-12	0-0	2	9	0	0	0	18
J. Reyes	21	6-10	4-7	1-1	3	4	0	0	0	17
J. Homan	19	13-22	9-16	0-0	4	0	0	1	1	35
I. Garner	21	0-3	0-0	0-0	7	4	1	1	1	8
L. Bozovic	12	2-3	0-0	0-0	6	0	0	1	0	4
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
A. Wilder	12	1-4	0-1	0-0	4	0	0	0	0	2
C. Wisniewski	12	0-2	0-0	0-0	2	2	1	0	0	0
Q. Wagner	2	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
R. Mencio	9	2-4	0-2	0-0	0	5	0	0	0	4
L. Frederick	-- DID NOT PLAY --
J. Atangana	1	1-2	0-1	0	0	0	0	0	1	2
A. Gomes	9	0-4	0-0	0-0	3	2	1	0	1	0
TEAM TOTALS		32-71	17-39	1-1	31	26	3	3	4	82

Dartmouth Big Green
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
T. Weaver	23	1-1	0-0	0-0	5	16	2	0	0	2
M. Fraser	21	4-16	2-14	0-0	3	5	1	0	1	10
R. Parsons	23	3-5	0-1	0-0	5	2	0	0	0	6
C. Sowers	21	6-11	0-0	2-5	7	2	0	0	0	14
A. Pandov	19	10-13	0-0	3-5	5	1	1	1	1	23
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
F. Dearman	11	2-5	0-3	1-2	3	1	0	0	2	5
N. Goodman	11	7-7	0-0	5-5	5	0	0	0	0	19
A. O'Hara	5	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
J. Mihailovic	5	2-2	1-1	0-0	0	1	0	0	0	5
J. Souchu	-- DID NOT PLAY --
K. Neverett	-- DID NOT PLAY --
B. Baynes	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	1	0	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS		35-61	3-19	11-17	33	29	4	1	4	84

[saintrules]

Conference Game

March 8th, 2008

Dartmouth leaps over Brown in season finale

Hanover, NH - The Big Green were definitely still feeling it one night removed from the instant classic over Yale. Dartmouth shot nearly 60% on 29-49 & played impressive defense, limiting Brown to 39% from the field & 28% from deep in the 70-63 win.

The Brown Bears clearly attempted to make this one a shootout as they took a total of 36 shots from beyond the arc, but only managed to hit 10 in the process. Taylor Baldwin, without question the league's most talented individual, struggled immensely from deep, hitting only one of his 12 attempts. The Bears were also completely outclassed on the glass as Dartmouth snagged 18 more rebounds than Brown.

Senior Cody Sowers, who possibly has played his last collegiate game with Dartmouth, was anything but self centered in the win. "We started this season off with a brand new coach, a freshman center, and Floyd (Dearman) and me as the only two seniors. Coach instilled an identity into us, Alton was incredible, and every guy by my side turned out to be a leader in their own way. We're praying to the basketball gods to let us keep playing, but if this is how I am going to go out, you know I've got a huge smile on my face."

Dartmouth is now at the mercy of the result from Yale vs. Harvard in deciding the Ivy League Champion.

Brown Bears at Dartmouth Big Green
Mar 8, 2008	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Brown (11-16)	26	37	63
Dartmouth (17-9)	33	37	70

Brown Bears
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
E. Foster	23	3-5	1-3	2-2	0	8	2	0	1	9
M. Caskill	21	6-12	4-9	1-2	1	3	3	0	0	17
T. Baldwin	19	4-19	1-12	0-0	1	3	0	0	0	9
M. Foust	11	2-3	0-0	0-0	1	1	1	2	0	4
M. Valavicius	22	4-9	1-4	0-0	4	0	3	3	1	9
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
F. Herber	12	0-3	0-3	0-0	0	1	0	0	0	0
B. Marks	9	3-8	3-5	0-0	0	1	0	0	0	9
P. Bolton	-- DID NOT PLAY --
J. Ike	-- DID NOT PLAY --
J. Boyd	13	1-1	0-0	0-0	7	0	1	0	0	2
K. Collison	3	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	2
K. Kuhle	7	0-0	0-0	2-2	2	0	0	1	0	2
TEAM TOTALS		24-61	10-36	5-6	16	17	10	6	2	63

Dartmouth Big Green
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
T. Weaver	22	0-1	0-0	0-1	1	11	1	0	4	0
M. Fraser	22	6-14	3-8	1-2	2	3	0	0	1	16
R. Parsons	19	2-3	0-0	4-5	8	1	0	0	1	8
C. Sowers	22	7-9	0-0	0-0	8	4	1	0	0	14
A. Pandov	19	7-9	0-0	1-2	8	0	0	2	3	15
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
F. Dearman	12	2-4	0-2	0-0	0	4	0	0	0	4
N. Goodman	9	4-6	0-0	1-1	4	1	0	0	1	9
A. O'Hara	7	1-2	0-0	2-2	1	0	0	0	0	4
J. Mihailovic	9	0-1	0-0	0-0	2	2	0	0	1	0
J. Souchu	-- DID NOT PLAY --
K. Neverett	-- DID NOT PLAY --
B. Baynes	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		29-49	3-10	9-13	34	26	2	2	11	70

[saintrules]

Ivy League Recap

March 9th, 2008

Yale wins Ivy League Championship

Hanover, NH - As the dust settled in the Ivy League, the Yale Bulldogs have won the conference following their defeat of the Harvard Crimson & their 10-4 record in league play.

Ivy League Standings

Ivy League Conference Standings - Updated: Mar 9, 2008
TEAM	REC	PCT	CONF	GB
Yale	15-11	.576	10-4	-
Dartmouth	18-9	.666	9-5	1
Columbia	17-11	.607	9-5	1
Princeton	10-17	.370	6-7	3.5
Cornell	13-14	.481	6-8	4
Brown	11-17	.392	6-8	4
Harvard	9-21	.300	5-9	5
Penn	7-22	.241	4-9	6

The Bulldogs, whom, after six games played in the league, stood at 3-3 and were two games back from the 5-1 Columbia Lions. Led by Hector Woolley and Josh Homan, Yale was able to rattle off a 7-1 record in their next eight, and despite a loss at Dartmouth, they finalized the Championship with a win over the Crimson. Dartmouth, who took the big win over Yale in the second to last game on the season, finish just one game back at 9-5, tied with Columbia, but have the head to head advantage. Princeton, Cornell, and Brown, finish with 6 wins a piece, though all three teams managed to give Yale, Dartmouth, and Columbia, trouble during the campaign. Harvard and Brown finish with 5 or fewer wins.

Ivy League Awards

Dartmouth dominates in Conference Awards

Ivy League Awards - 2008
Award	Player	Pos	Team
Conference Player of the Year	Major Fraser (Jr)	SG	Dartmouth
Conference Freshman of the Year	Alton Pandov (Fr)	C	Dartmouth
All-Conference 1st Team
All-Conference 1st Team	Theron Weaver (Jr)	PG	Dartmouth
	Major Fraser (Jr)	SG	Dartmouth
	Kyle Hope (Jr)	SF	Penn
	Chris Austin (Jr)	PF	Harvard
	Alton Pandov (Fr)	C	Dartmouth
All-Conference 2nd Team
All-Conference 2nd Team	Hector Woolley (Sr)	PG	Yale
	Taylor Baldwin (Sr)	SG	Brown
	Ray Colwell (Sr)	SF	Princeton
	Jeff Koger (Sr)	PF	Columbia
	Berry Henry (Sr)	C	Columbia
All-Freshman Team
All-Freshman Team	Edward Foster (Fr)	PG	Brown
	Dana Garrett (Fr)	SG	Harvard
	Eric Holmes (Fr)	SF	Penn
	Craig Wisniewski (Fr)	PF	Yale
	Alton Pandov (Fr)	C	Dartmouth

On 23.3 Points Per Game, fourth best in the nation, there was little doubt Major Fraser would not be winning Conference Player of the Year. Fraser, who recorded three 40+ point performances for the Big Green, including multiple clutch three pointers, was the engine that powered second place Dartmouth. Fraser also led in Field Goals Made and Three Pointers Made in the Ivy League by a couple of miles. "I'm honored to receive such an incredible award", said Fraser, following the Awards Ceremony. "Like I have said plenty of times, however, I am just the final piece who put the ball through the basket, my teammates allowed me to do what I did, and this one is for them". The teammates of Fraser did not go unnoticed, either. Alton Pandov, one of the few starting freshman in the Ivy League, was the the base of operations for Dartmouth as their big man on the court. Pandov, who recorded 15.9 Points Per Game, 6.6 Rebounds Per Game, and 1.5 Assists Per Game, ended as the second best scorer in the league. "The most exciting part is that this is just the beginning", laughed Pandov. With Major Fraser and Alton Pandov taking home the biggest individual hardware in the Ivy League, it's easy to overlook the remarkable season Theron Weaver put together. At 11.6 Assists Per Game, Theron Weaver led the entire nation in feeding the ball to scorers. Weaver did not possess the scoring capabilities of other high powered Point Guards, but there was no question his court vision stood among the best in the nation. Fraser, Pandov, and Weaver, all secured All-Conference 1st Team honors.

Beyond Dartmouth, Penn's Kyle Hope & Harvard's Chris Austin secure All-Conference 1st Team honors for their respective positions. With both of their universities finishing in the bottom two, they will be leaned on heavily in their senior seasons to get results and teach the youth. The youth for both rests on the shoulders of Eric Holmes and Dana Garrett who earned All-Freshman honors in their inaugural campaign.

Second Team, All-Conference, saw a fully stacked group of seniors who have played their final Ivy League games. Brown's Taylor Baldwin has steadily maintained his NBA potential & is projected as a late pick in the draft. Hector Woolley & his Yale Bulldogs will continue their season as they are a lock for the Big Dance.

Ivy League Leaders

Princeton's Issa Moss all class on the glass

Ivy League Leaders - Updated: Mar 9, 2008
Points Per Game	PPG	Rebounds Per Game	RPG
1. Major Fraser (Dartmouth)	23.3	1. Issa Moss (Princeton)	7.8
2. Alton Pandov (Dartmouth)	15.9	2. Berry Henry (Columbia)	7.4
3. Hector Woolley (Yale)	13.2	3. Scott Pipikis (Cornell)	7.0
4. Benny Acasio (Cornell)	12.7	4. Lance Pilgrim (Cornell)	6.8
5. Marin Caskill (Brown)	12.4	5. Alton Pandov (Dartmouth)	6.6
Assists Per Game	APG	Steals Per Game	SPG
1. Theron Weaver (Dartmouth)	11.6	1. Theron Weaver (Dartmouth)	1.6
2. Adama Gourde (Cornell)	6.4	2. Marin Caskill (Brown)	1.5
3. Matt Karis (Columbia)	4.9	3. Romeo Christian (Princeton)	1.5
4. Hector Woolley (Yale)	4.9	4. Hector Woolley (Yale)	1.5
5. Floyd Boatner (Penn)	4.8	5. Ollie Bradford (Columbia)	1.4
Blocks Per Game	BPG	Free Throws Made	FTM
1. Landon Bozovic (Yale)	1.3	1. Berry Henry (Columbia)	79
2. Lance McCrommon (Penn)	1.3	2. Carter Austin (Harvard)	72
3. Matt Foust (Brown)	1.2	3. Marin Caskill (Brown)	68
4. Mathew Valavicius (Brown)	1.1	4. Kyle Hope (Penn)	67
5. Issa Moss (Princeton)	1.0	5. Taylor Baldwin (Brown)	66
Field Goals Made	FGM	Three Pointers Made	3PM
1. Major Fraser (Dartmouth)	232	1. Major Fraser (Dartmouth)	138
2. Alton Pandov (Dartmouth)	197	2. Ray Colwell (Princeton)	73
3. Berry Henry (Columbia)	125	3. Josh Homan (Yale)	67
4. Hector Woolley (Yale)	121	4. Marin Caskill (Brown)	65
5. Chris Austin (Harvard)	120	5. Benny Acasio (Cornell)	65

[saintrules]

National Recap

March 10th, 2008

Jayhawks top the charts at season's end

National Top 25

Hanover, NH - As the Regular Season concluded last night, the (1) Kansas Jayhawks maintained their position at the top of the nation. With the Big 12 Tournament right around the corner, the blue blood will need to still produce a decent showing as they have their eyes set on a #1 seed for March Madness.

National Top 25 - Updated: Mar 10, 2008
RK	TEAM (VOTES)	RECORD
1	Kansas (Big 12)	26-4
2	North Carolina (ACC)	26-7
3	Michigan State (Big Ten)	27-6
4	Tennessee (SEC)	26-7
5	Louisville (Big East)	25-8
6	Arkansas (SEC)	26-6
7	Alabama (SEC)	26-8
8	UCLA (Pac 10)	23-8
9	Duke (ACC)	21-9
10	Washington (Pac 10)	26-6
11	Stanford (Pac 10)	26-7
12	Georgetown (Big East)	23-9
13	Temple (Atlantic Ten)	25-7
14	Fordham (Atlantic Ten)	22-7
15	Marquette (Big East)	22-10
16	Georgia (SEC)	19-9
17	Auburn (SEC)	21-10
18	Memphis (Conference USA)	24-8
19	Kentucky (SEC)	21-12
20	Vanderbilt (SEC)	22-10
21	Mississippi State (SEC)	22-10
22	Miami (ACC)	23-9
23	Indiana (Big Ten)	21-11
24	Texas A&M (Big 12)	20-10
25	Connecticut (Big East)	21-11

Following closely is (2) North Carolina, led by All-American National Player of the Year & Big Man of the Year, Nick Gourde. Rounding out the Top 5 we find (3) Michigan State who has proven to be head an shoulders above the Big Ten, (4) Tennessee, arguably the best team in the country in the most stacked conference in the nation, and finally, (5) Louisville, who has practically maintained its position in the Top 5 & Top 10 the entire season.

As aforementioned, the SEC is without a shadow of a doubt the toughest conference in the country this season. With eight teams ranking in the Top 25 & three in the Top 10, could the Southeastern Conference potentially snag two #1 seeds in the Big Dance? The Pacific 10 Conference has also made a pretty solid case for toughest conference as they find three of their respective universities, (8) UCLA, (10) Washington, and (11) Stanford, in the Top 12.

Noticeably absent from the Top 25 is the Big 12 & Big Ten. With (1) Kansas & (3) Michigan State as the only two teams below #23 in the country, how will that fare on Selection Sunday?

Mid Major Top 25

High powered Western Kentucky sets sights on Big Dance

Mid Major Top 25 - Updated: Mar 10, 2008
RK	TEAM (VOTES)	RECORD
1	Western Kentucky (Sun Belt)	21-8
2	Gonzaga (West Coast)	23-10
3	Akron (Mid-American)	20-10
4	Nevada (Western Athletic)	20-10
5	Lafayette (Patriot League)	22-9
6	George Mason (Colonial)	22-8
7	Western Michigan (Mid-American)	21-10
8	Winthrop (Big South)	22-7
9	Cal Poly (Big West)	19-9
10	Louisiana Monroe (Sun Belt)	22-10
11	Utah State (Western Athletic)	19-12
12	Middle Tennessee (Sun Belt)	18-11
13	UNC Greensboro (Southern)	24-8
14	Missouri State (Missouri Valley)	17-16
15	Davidson (Southern)	17-11
16	New Mexico State (Western Athletic)	19-12
17	Wichita State (Missouri Valley)	17-14
18	Bucknell (Patriot League)	18-12
19	James Madison (Colonial)	22-10
20	Belmont (Atlantic Sun)	20-12
21	Drake (Missouri Valley)	16-12
22	Old Dominion (Colonial)	18-13
23	Campbell (Atlantic Sun)	24-7
24	Eastern Tennessee State (Atlantic Sun)	18-11
25	Saint Francis PA (Northeast)	21-8

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers finish their campaign at 21-8, on top of the Mid Major Poll. With Louisiana Monroe & Middle Tennessee also finishing in the Top 12 of the Mid Majors, the Hilltoppers have solid resume wins to showcase to the committee on top of their #1 ranking, on top of the potential Sun Belt Tournament Championship. Gonzaga, #2 in the Mid Majors, stands as the only West Coast team in the Poll. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, the lack of fellow conference teams & weakness of schedule has severely hurt their opportunity of Big Dance seeding. At the moment, a West Coast Tournament Championship is their only route in. Following the Sun Belt, we find the Missouri Valley, Atlantic Sun, and Western Athletic, all with three teams a piece in the Poll.

National Awards

North Carolina's Nick Gourde best in the land

National Awards - 2008
Award	Player	Pos	Team
National Player of the Year	Nick Gourde (Jr)	PF	North Carolina
Mid-Major Player of the Year	Clifton George (Sr)	C	Drexel
National Defensive Player of the Year	Fab Hooks (Jr)	PF	Alabama
National Big Man of the Year	Nick Gourde (Jr)	PF	North Carolina
National Freshman of the Year	Lawrence Martin (Fr)	PF	Kansas State
All-American 1st Team
All-American 1st Team	Simon Sanders (Sr)	PG	Virginia
	Clark Curry (Sr)	SG	Tennessee
	Walt Mims (Sr)	SF	Texas Tech
	Nick Gourde (Jr)	PF	North Carolina
	Damian Thompson (Sr)	C	Nebraska
All-American 2nd Team
All-American 2nd Team	Esmond Toole (Jr)	PG	Texas
	Toby Bowens Sr)	SG	New Orleans
	AJ Holmes (Sr)	SF	High Point
	Fab Hooks (Jr)	PF	Alabama
	Clifton George (Sr)	C	Drexel
All-Freshman Team
All-Freshman Team	Toby Holloway (Fr)	PG	USC
	Jorge Webb (Fr)	SG	Indiana
	Parker Butch (Fr)	SF	Kansas State
	Lawrence Martin (Fr)	PF	Kansas State
	VJ Guerrero (Fr)	C	UCLA

National Player of the Year, Nick Gourde, didn't just top the charts at the end, he lead the whole way through. Starting the season off as #1 on the Wooden Watch List, Nick Gourde exceeded expectations, if that was really possible, and took home the nation's most prestigious individual award. Averaging 25.8 Points Per Game & 8.1 Rebounds Per Game, it was hard to find a player more dominant night in and night out. Gourde, the 6'9" Power Forward, also took home the National Big Man of the Year Award & the obvious 1st Team All-American honor. In what will be a likely departure to the NBA, Nick Gourde will try to secure his team some hardware to complete his legacy with. Clifton George out of Drexel was a strong on both sides of the ball as he racked up 1.6 Blocks Per Game while averaging 23.0 Points Per Game & 8.8 Rebounds Per Game, earning him the Mid-Major Player of the Year Award. Rounding out the the National Awards we have Fab Hooks from Alabama taking the Defensive Player of the Year Award, averaging a ridiculous stat line of 17.3 Points Per Game, 9.7 Rebounds Per Game, 1.4 Assists Per Game, 1.1 Steals Per Game, and 2.1 Block Per Game. Hooks, only a Junior, is a definite favorite for next year's Wooden, assuming he does not depart early for the draft. Kansas State's Lawrence Martin is the National Freshman of the Year, he averaged 18.9 Points Per Game, 8.9 Rebounds Per Game, 2.3 Assists Per Game, 1.5 Steals Per Game, and 1.7 Blocks Per Game. Like Hooks, Martin is an early favorite for the Wooden Award.

If there is any one team to keep an eye on moving forward, it is Kansas State. The Wildcats produced not one, but two National All-Freshman players in Lawrence Martin and Parker Butch. The two forwards will be a staple of offense and defense for Kansas State, making them one of the hottest young teams in the country. UCLA, Indiana, and USC, also have much to be excited about in their All-Freshman players.

National Leaders

Sharpshooting Clark Curry wins Scoring Title

NCAA Basketball Leaders - Updated: Mar 10, 2008
Points Per Game	PPG	Rebounds Per Game	RPG
1. Clark Curry (Tennessee)	25.9	1. Ronny Zimmerman (Grambling)	12.4
2. Nick Gourde (North Carolina)	25.8	2. Stewart Murry (Alabama A&M)	12.1
3. Toby Bowens (New Orleans)	24.0	3. AJ Holmes (High Point)	11.5
4. Major Fraser (Dartmouth)	23.3	4. Zach Hacker (Campbell)	11.2
5. Alex Sherrill (UNC Greensboro)	23.1	5. Cory Page (Southeast Missouri State)	10.3
Assists Per Game	APG	Steals Per Game	SPG
1. Theron Weaver (Dartmouth)	11.6	1. Austen Boyette (Old Dominion)	2.9
2. Drew Edwards (Fresno State)	8.5	2. Terry West (Sacramento State)	2.7
3. Fred Rafiq (Winthrop)	8.5	3. Lakeith Bone (Robert Morris)	2.7
4. Pat Tyler (Davidson)	8.4	4. Billy Bishop (Wofford)	2.6
5. Will Dancy	8.4	5. Alando Cox (Eastern Illinois)	2.5
Blocks Per Game	BPG	Free Throws Made	FTM
1. Lyle Holland (California)	3.2	1. Nick Gourde (North Carolina)	270
2. Jair White (Georgetown)	2.8	2. Toby Bowens (New Orleans)	206
3. Dumar Tafo (Florida State)	2.8	3. Alex Sherrill (UNC Greensboro)	196
4. Markus Berry (Towson)	2.8	4. Clark Curry (Tennessee)	194
5. Boris Lalugba (Clemson)	2.7	5. Walt Mims (Texas Tech)	193
Field Goals Made	FGM	Three Pointers Made	3PM
1. Nick Gourde (North Carolina)	328	1. Clark Curry (Tennessee)	160
2. Clark Curry (Tennessee)	328	2. Major Fraser (Dartmouth)	138
3. Alex Sherrill (UNC Greensboro)	304	3. Neil Taft (Florida A&M)	126
4. Clifton George (Drexel)	274	4. Jamual Modica (Houston)	112
5. Cozell Turek (Gonzaga)	259	5. Esmond Toole (Texas)	111

[RolePlayer]

Man reading this makes me want to fire up my old CH2k8 dynasty

[saintrules]

Quote: Originally Posted by RolePlayer

Man reading this makes me want to fire up my old CH2k8 dynasty

Haha thanks man, fire that thing on up! I'm trying to avoid being a prisoner of the moment, but this game ties only NCAA 14 for the most fun I've had in a console game.

[saintrules]

March Madness

April 7th, 2008

The Vols topple Sparty to win it all

San Antonio, TX - Led by the nation's best scorer, Clark Curry, the (1) Tennessee Volunteers blew out the (1) Michigan State Spartans, 82-65, earning them the 2007 National Championship.

From the early moments of the first half, it was obvious who came to play. The Volunteers led by as much as 22 points as Curry & company lit things up beyond the arc & also played tough, down low. Tennessee never encountered a Spartan run in the victory & by midway through the second, the game was a wrap.

The path to the big trophy was anything but an easy route as (1) Tennessee encountered not one, not two, but three incredibly high powered offenses in the form of (9) Western Kentucky, who ended the season as #1 in the Mid-Major Poll, (12) UNC Greensboro, led by the nation's 5th best scorer, Alex Sherrill, and finally, (7) Saint Joseph's who had pulled two straight upsets over (2) Louisville & (6) Memphis. By the time the Volunteers got to the Final Four, they were battle tested & resilient, taking on (2) Kansas, & coming out as the victor, 83-76. With the confidence & swag they had achieved throughout the first five games of the Big Dance, Michigan State, barely stood a chance.

National Bracket

Final Four sees three #1 seeds

It was the year of the All-American led #1 seeds as (1) Tennessee, (1) Alabama, and (1) North Carolina, brought their big guns to the Big Dance. National Player of the Year & National Big Man of the Year, Nick Gourde, led his top seeded Tar Heels to two quick and easy defeats over (16) Rider & (8) Texas A&M. Unfortunately for Gourde & company, the Tar Heels would meet their maker in the Sweet 16 as they took a 84-91 loss at the hands of (4) Georgetown. The upset shocked the country & busted most brackets as North Carolina was a heavy favorite to not only see the Final Four, but win the National Championship, outright.

Things worked out much better for the other top seeds as (1) Tennessee, (1) Alabama, and (1) Michigan State, found themselves in San Antonio when all but four had seen their final game. (2) Kansas, who finished the Regular Season at #1 in the Top 25 Poll, lost out on their chance at a #1 seed as they exited the Big 12 Tournament with a first round loss. Nonetheless, the Jayhawks road from the #2 seed allowed them to avoid the (4) Georgetown giant killers early & instead take them on in the Elite 8 where the increased attention rattled the nerves of Georgetown.

As always, there were plenty of big surprises in the Big Dance, despite the Final Four seeing only #1 & #2 seeded squads. The biggest upset that did not have to do with (1) North Carolina, landed in the first round as (15) Wagner defeated (2) Arkansas. Pig Sooie, who finished their Regular Season campaign as #6 in the nation & third/fourth place in the loaded SEC Tournament, were a favorite to at least see (1) Michigan State in the Elite 8. Up in the land of (1) Tennessee's region, (4) Auburn fell to (13) Missouri State & (5) Miami was defeated by (12) UNC Greensboro. These upsets may come off shocking, but for those who paid attention to the Mid-Majors, these wins were anything but stunning.

Overall, the Southeastern Conference was the biggest winner of the tournament. With (1) Tennessee earning the National Championship & (1) Alabama a Final Four appearance, that in itself would have been enough to give them the honor. At the end of the day, the SEC put 9 teams in the tournament, 7 of which made the Round of 32, and if it weren't for four of them playing one another, the SEC could have seen a ton more in the Sweet 16.

NIT Tournament

Butler pulls NIT upset over tough Virginia

Though away from most of the national attention, the NIT Tournament provided some great action as All-American Point Guard, Simon Sanders, led his Virginia Cavaliers to the NIT Final Four to take on the ever tough, Gonzaga Bulldogs, whom finished the Regular Season as the #2 team in the Mid-Major Poll. Gonzaga, who many thought could get a March Madness invite, lost their chances when they dropped out early in the West Coast Tournament Championship.

In what was believed to be the "real" NIT Championship game, the Cavaliers defeated the Bulldogs 96-92 in a shootout. Butler, who had a pretty roller coaster performance in the Regular Season, defeated George Mason who ended the Regular Season at #6 in the Mid-Major Poll. To the surprise of just about everyone, the Butler Bulldogs were their own form of giant killers as they defeated the Virginia Cavaliers, 68-61, taking home the NIT Championship.

NIT Bracket

[saintrules]

National Recruitment

May 16th, 2008

Blue Devils haul in three Top 10 recruits

Durham, NC - As the Official Signing Period came to a close today as the Duke Blue Devils secured the National Recruiting Title behind their star studded group of High School All-Americans.

National Top 25 Recruits

National Top 25 Recruiting - 2008
NAME	POS	CLASS	HOMETOWN	HT	WT	CALIBER
Darrian Garza (North Carolina)	SG	HS	Columbus, GA (Mr. BB)	6'3"	179
Darian Haynes (Texas A&M)	PG	HS	El Paso, TX (Mr. BB)	6'1"	176
Eric Goodson (UCLA)	PF	HS	Bakersfield, CA (Mr. BB)	6'8"	241
Domonic Iata (Duke)	PG	HS	Clearwater. FL (Mr. BB)	5'9"	162
B.B. Moye (Duke)	SG	HS	Newark, NJ (Mr. BB)	6'3"	188
Harvey Beauford (Kansas)	PG	HS	Edmond, OK (Mr. BB)	6'1"	170
Kris Feeney (Duke)	PG	HS	Bridgeport, CT (Mr. BB)	6'1"	183
Deilvez Conroy (Louisville)	PF	HS	Tampa, FL	6'8"	210
Angelo McGrath (Creighton)	PG	HS	Brookings, SD (Mr. BB)	5'9"	156
Brent Walls (UCLA)	PF	HS	Pasadena, CA	6'7"	204
Homer Brazzle (Texas)	PG	HS	Austin, TX	6'3"	179
Aki Chambers (Kansas)	SG	HS	Fort Collins, CO (Mr. BB)	6'2"	178
Raheim Stafford (Nevada)	PF	HS	Redwood City, CA	6'7"	216
Rashay Dalgarn (Kansas)	C	HS	Chicago, IL (Mr. BB)	6'8"	222
Roger Hale (Arizona)	SF	HS	Phoenix, AZ (Mr. BB)	6'5"	194
Curt Dunnington (Boston College)	SG	HS	Brooklyn, NY (Mr. BB)	6'3"	184
Diondre Christie (Maryland)	SG	HS	Pittsburgh, PA (Mr. BB)	6'2"	186
Casey Foster (Florida State)	SG	HS	Margate, FL	6'1"	176
Jarrad Samabaly (Missouri State)	PG	HS	New Orleans, LA (Mr. BB)	6'2"	190
Esmond Mendez (Florida)	SG	HS	Cape Coral, FL	6'1"	176
Lamar Drake (Michigan State)	PF	HS	Hammond, IN (Mr. BB)	6'8"	210
Larry Konare (Georgetown)	PF	HS	Charlotte, NC (Mr. BB)	6'7"	210
PJ Joseph (Kentucky)	C	HS	Nashville, TN (Mr. BB)	6'8"	247
Demetric Truscott (Miami)	PF	HS	Hialeah, FL	6'6"	216
Clinton Sherman (Michigan State)	SF	HS	Detroit, MI (Mr. BB)	6'6"	205

With just #7 Kris Feeney inked to Duke during the Early Signing Period, the blue blood made big waves as it flexed for a late push & hauled in #4 Domonic Iata, the #2 Point Guard, and #5 B.B. Moye, the #2 ranked Shooting Guard. Despite bowing out in the Round of 32 to Memphis in this year's tournament, the Blue Devils end as one of the most successful teams this season.

UCLA also made big waves as the PAC 10 affilate picked up #3 Eric Goodson, the #1 Power Forward, and Early Signing Period commit, #10 Brent Walls, the #3 Power Forward. The Bruins, who already sport National All-Freshman Center, VJ Guerrero, add two more big men to their stacked lineup.

Kansas Jayhawks celebrated their #6 commit, Harvey Beauford, the #3 Point Guard in the nation. Along with Beauford, Rock Chalk secured the #11 overall, Aki Chambers, and #13 overall, Rashay Dalgarn. With all three players non natives of Kansas, the Jayhawks' National recruiting arm continues to flex.

National Runner-Up, Michigan State, made waves in the Top 25 as they secured #21 overall, Lamar Drake, and #25 overall, Clint Sherman. Spartan Nation has always had a strong reach in the Midwest recruiting trail & they continued to prove that as they went down to Hammond, IN, to pickup the state's Mr. Basketball in Lamar Drake.

National Top 25

Top Recruiting Classes - 2008
RK	TEAM	5	4	3	2	1	TOTAL
1	Duke	3	0	0	0	0	3
2	UCLA	2	1	0	0	0	3
3	Kansas	3	1	0	1	0	5
4	Clemson	0	4	0	0	0	4
5	Michigan State	2	0	1	0	0	3
6	Georgetown	1	1	2	0	0	4
7	Florida State	1	3	1	0	0	5
8	Nevada	1	1	2	0	0	4
9	Washington State	0	2	2	0	0	4
10	Arizona	1	0	2	0	0	3
11	West Virginia	1	0	2	0	0	3
12	Michigan	0	2	2	0	0	4
13	Florida	1	0	3	0	0	4
14	Colorado	0	2	3	0	0	5
15	Wyoming	1	1	1	0	0	3
16	Oklahoma	0	2	2	0	0	4
17	UNLV	0	2	1	0	0	3
18	Houston	0	2	3	0	0	5
19	Maryland	1	0	2	0	0	3
20	Louisville	1	1	0	1	0	3
21	Xavier	0	2	1	1	0	4
22	DePaul	0	1	3	0	0	4
23	Marquette	0	2	1	0	0	3
24	VCU	0	2	1	0	0	3
25	Arkansas	1	0	2	0	0	3

Behind their three Top 10, more particular, Top 7, High School All-Americans, the Duke Blue Devils end as #1 in the Recruiting Top 25. Following close behind, to the surprise of none, is #2 UCLA & #3 Kansas who also hauled in multiple Five Star signings.

The Top 25 displayed some usual suspects in #5 Michigan State, who boosted their resume with a Final Four victory, and #6 Georgetown, who made the usual big splash in March Madness by defeating top seeded North Carolina to reach the Elite 8. Both teams brought in a couple of Five Star, Four Star, and Three Stars, who will make an immediate impact on their programs.

The list certainly did not come without concern for some, however, as blue blooded Kentucky, National Champion Tennessee, and Final Four appearing, Alabama, did not make the cut, despite Kentucky adding #23 overall, PJ Joseph. As loaded and complete as the SEC was this season, there is a looming concern out there that the league could take a dip. Those who did make the cut were #13 Florida & #25 Arkansas, both bringing in one Five Star a piece, but zero Four Star guys.