Coaching Legacy of James Frizzell (CH 2K8)

[superjames1992]

SELECTION SUNDAY - 2031 NCAA TOURNAMENT

OPENING ROUND GAME
Tennessee-Martin (10-20) vs. Long Island (15-16)

EAST REGIONAL
#1 Duquesne (32-2) vs. Play-In-Game Winner
#8 Rhode Island (22-10) vs. #9 Iowa (24-10)
#5 Tennessee (21-8) vs. #12 Army (19-10)
#4 Pepperdine (25-5) vs. #13 Cal Poly (18-13)
#6 Syracuse (21-10) vs. #11 Louisiana-Monroe (23-6)
#3 Arizona (23-8) vs. #14 Nevada (16-17)
#7 Missouri (18-9) vs. #10 Virginia (19-14)
#2 Georgia (26-7) vs. #15 Wisconsin-Green Bay (16-12)


WEST REGIONAL
#1 Clemson (26-5) vs. #16 Davidson (18-14)
#8 Michigan (20-10) vs. #9 Wake Forest (21-13)
#5 Texas A&M (22-7) vs. #12 New Orleans (21-9)
#4 Charlotte (26-7) vs. #13 Saint Mary's (17-17)
#6 Brigham Young (24-7) vs. #11 Maryland (17-13)
#3 Oregon (23-10) vs. #14 Jacksonville (18-11)
#7 Villanova (19-10) vs. #10 North Carolina (18-12)
#2 Virginia Tech (23-6) vs. #15 Portland State (16-16)

SOUTH REGIONAL
#1 Memphis (30-1) vs. #16 Southeastern LA (15-13)
#8 Notre Dame (22-12) vs. #9 Cincinnati (22-12)
#5 Florida (21-11) vs. #12 George Mason (21-9)
#4 Baylor (24-8) vs. #13 Southern Illinois (19-12)
#6 Texas Tech (22-10) vs. #11 Michigan (21-13)
#3 Eastern Michigan (27-4) vs. #14 Stony Brook (20-11)
#7 Duke (18-15) vs. #10 Siena (25-6)
#2 San Diego State (25-5) vs. #16 UNC Asheville (16-12)

MIDWEST REGIONAL
#1 West Virginia (27-7) vs. #16 Oral Roberts (17-13)
#8 Rutgers (21-9) vs. #9 La Salle (24-8)
#5 USC (21-11) vs. #12 Texas (18-12)
#4 Connecticut (23-9) vs. #13 Mississippi Valley State (21-8)
#6 Boston College (21-12) vs. #11 Air Force (20-10)
#3 Washington State (23-9) vs. #14 Princeton (16-12)
#7 Mississippi State (25-11) vs. #10 Kansas (19-11)
#2 Florida State (25-7) vs. #15 North Carolina A&T (18-10)

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN
ACC: 9
Big East: 7
Big 12: 6
Pac-10: 4
SEC: 4
A-10: 4
Big Ten: 3
MWC: 3
WCC: 2
Sun Belt: 2
All Others: 1

[superjames1992]

2031 NCAA TOURNAMENT PLAY-IN GAME RESULT

OPENING ROUND GAME
Long Island 69, Tennessee-Martin 59

EAST REGIONAL
#1 Duquesne (32-2) vs. #16 Long Island (16-16)
#8 Rhode Island (22-10) vs. #9 Iowa (24-10)
#5 Tennessee (21-8) vs. #12 Army (19-10)
#4 Pepperdine (25-5) vs. #13 Cal Poly (18-13)
#6 Syracuse (21-10) vs. #11 Louisiana-Monroe (23-6)
#3 Arizona (23-8) vs. #14 Nevada (16-17)
#7 Missouri (18-9) vs. #10 Virginia (19-14)
#2 Georgia (26-7) vs. #15 Wisconsin-Green Bay (16-12)


WEST REGIONAL
#1 Clemson (26-5) vs. #16 Davidson (18-14)
#8 Michigan (20-10) vs. #9 Wake Forest (21-13)
#5 Texas A&M (22-7) vs. #12 New Orleans (21-9)
#4 Charlotte (26-7) vs. #13 Saint Mary's (17-17)
#6 Brigham Young (24-7) vs. #11 Maryland (17-13)
#3 Oregon (23-10) vs. #14 Jacksonville (18-11)
#7 Villanova (19-10) vs. #10 North Carolina (18-12)
#2 Virginia Tech (23-6) vs. #15 Portland State (16-16)

SOUTH REGIONAL
#1 Memphis (30-1) vs. #16 Southeastern LA (15-13)
#8 Notre Dame (22-12) vs. #9 Cincinnati (22-12)
#5 Florida (21-11) vs. #12 George Mason (21-9)
#4 Baylor (24-8) vs. #13 Southern Illinois (19-12)
#6 Texas Tech (22-10) vs. #11 Michigan (21-13)
#3 Eastern Michigan (27-4) vs. #14 Stony Brook (20-11)
#7 Duke (18-15) vs. #10 Siena (25-6)
#2 San Diego State (25-5) vs. #16 UNC Asheville (16-12)

MIDWEST REGIONAL
#1 West Virginia (27-7) vs. #16 Oral Roberts (17-13)
#8 Rutgers (21-9) vs. #9 La Salle (24-8)
#5 USC (21-11) vs. #12 Texas (18-12)
#4 Connecticut (23-9) vs. #13 Mississippi Valley State (21-8)
#6 Boston College (21-12) vs. #11 Air Force (20-10)
#3 Washington State (23-9) vs. #14 Princeton (16-12)
#7 Mississippi State (25-11) vs. #10 Kansas (19-11)
#2 Florida State (25-7) vs. #15 North Carolina A&T (18-10)

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN
ACC: 9
Big East: 7
Big 12: 6
Pac-10: 4
SEC: 4
A-10: 4
Big Ten: 3
MWC: 3
WCC: 2
Sun Belt: 2
All Others: 1

[superjames1992]

vs.
(16) Oral Roberts (17-14) vs. (1) West Virginia (28-7)
American Airlines Center
Dallas, TX
March 21st, 2031
NCAA Tournament - First Round

Top-seeded West Virginia (28-7) exploded tonight for 104 points as they outpaced 16th-seeded Oral Roberts 104-79 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

West Virginia dominated down low and the Golden Eagles (17-14) were knocked out from the start. Willie Gomes bullied his way to 23 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks and fellow big man O.J. Palmer scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds in just 20 minutes of foul-limited actions. Ethan Augustin also played very well with 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench as all of WVU's big men took advantage of their size advantage.

Myron DeLeon also scored 15 points for West Virginia and Fred Joiner paced the offense with 15 points and five assists. Theron Dux came off the bench to add 11 points and four assists.

Oral Roberts' senior small forward Hrvoje Santee scored a career-best 27 points to lead Oral Roberts in scoring. Seven-footer Ollie Mouton totaled 13 points and four rebounds. Marc Lang also paced the offense with 12 points and nine assists.

Eighth-seeded Rutgers defeated ninth-seeded La Salle 87-66, so the Mountaineers will face off against their fellow Big East foe in the NCAA Tournament Second Round on Sunday in Dallas, TX.

Oral Roberts Golden Eagles vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
Mar 21, 2031	1ST	2ND	SCORE
#16 Oral Roberts (17-14)	32	47	79
#1 West Virginia (28-7)	53	51	104

Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
M. Lang	27	5-9	1-2	1-3	3	9	0	0	3	12
J. Cleveland	31	3-9	0-3	0-1	2	5	2	0	0	6
H. Santee	26	9-14	3-5	6-8	3	4	1	0	1	27
A. Diakite	25	1-6	0-1	0-0	7	2	1	0	0	2
D. Mouton	17	6-10	0-0	1-2	4	0	1	0	1	13
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
D. Love	18	2-9	0-3	2-2	1	2	0	0	2	6
J. Lenzly	18	3-3	0-0	0-0	1	0	0	0	2	6
G. King	10	1-5	0-2	0-0	1	0	1	0	1	2
F. Barnett	14	1-2	0-0	0-0	0	1	0	0	0	2
T. Mulic	2	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
R. Cuffe	10	1-2	0-0	1-1	5	0	1	0	1	3
W. Hickman	2	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS		32-69	4-16	11-17	27	23	7	0	11	79

West Virginia Mountaineers
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
F. Joiner	26	5-15	1-5	4-6	3	5	1	0	3	15
P. Gabler	27	1-4	1-4	0-0	5	1	1	0	2	3
M. DeLeon	26	4-9	4-5	3-3	3	2	1	0	1	15
W. Gomes	26	8-10	0-0	7-7	11	0	0	3	1	23
O. Palmer	20	6-9	0-0	0-0	7	1	3	0	0	12
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
T. Dux	17	3-6	1-4	4-5	3	4	3	0	4	11
D. Cox	10	4-7	0-0	0-0	1	0	0	2	0	8
E. Augustin	21	5-6	0-0	4-5	7	2	1	0	0	14
M. Blanchard	10	1-4	1-4	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	3
D. Packevicius	3	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
M. Weaver	14	0-3	0-3	0-0	4	0	1	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS		37-73	8-25	22-26	45	15	11	5	11	104

[superjames1992]

2031 NCAA TOURNAMENT RESULTS - FIRST ROUND

EAST REGIONAL
#1 Duquesne 106, #16 Long Island 64
#8 Rhode Island 84, #9 Iowa 79
#5 Tennessee 92, #12 Army 72
#5 Pepperdine 78, #13 Cal Poly 67
#11 ULM 81, #6 Syracuse 80
#3 Arizona 101, #14 Nevada 84
#7 Nevada 91, #10 Virginia 88
#2 Georgia 97, #15 UW-Green Bay 75

WEST REGIONAL
#1 Clemson 109, #16 Davidson 33
#9 Wake Forest 107, #8 Michigan 79
#12 New Orleans 78, #5 Texas A&M 57
#13 Saint Mary's 83, #4 Charlotte 73
#11 Maryland 84, #6 Brigham Young 71
#3 Oregon 85, #14 Jacksonville 70
#7 Villanova 83, #10 North Carolina 75
#2 Virginia Tech 82, #15 Portland State 56

SOUTH REGIONAL
#1 Memphis 87, #16 Southeastern LA 77
#8 Notre Dame 79, #9 Cincinnati 47
#5 Florida 90, #12 George Mason 68
#4 Baylor 81, #13 Southern Illinois 78
#11 Michigan State 71, #6 Texas Tech 68
#3 Eastern Michigan 88, #14 Stony Brook 45
#7 Duke 78, #10 Siena 58
#2 San Diego State 100, #15 UNC Asheville 63

MIDWEST REGIONAL
#1 West Virginia 104, #16 Oral Roberts 79
#8 Rutgers 87, #9 La Salle 66
#5 USC 82, #12 Texas 70
#4 Connecticut 87, #13 Miss Valley State 55
#7 Boston College 78, #11 Air Force 71
#3 Washington State 62, #14 Princeton 56
#10 Kansas 72, #7 Mississippi State 62
#2 Florida State 98, #15 North Carolina A&T

[superjames1992]

vs.
(8) Rutgers (22-10) vs. (1) West Virginia (29-7)
American Airlines Center
Dallas, TX
March 23rd, 2031
NCAA Tournament - Second Round

Top-seeded West Virginia (29-7) blasted its way into the Sweet Sixteen with a 76-47 shellacking of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (22-10) this evening in Dallas, TX.

The Scarlet Knights were held to just 27% (15/55) shooting from the field and 5/19 (26%) from three-point range as the WVU defense put on a clinic, just a game removed from giving up 47 points in the second half against Oral Roberts.

The Mountaineers jumped out to an early lead and led wire-to-wire. The Mountaineers held a 42-19 halftime lead and cruised the rest of the way.

Freshman Myron DeLeon scored 19 points to lead all players in scoring. Willie Gomes totaled a double-double with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks while O.J. Palmer tallied 13 points, four rebounds, and five assists. Fred Joiner also had a nice game with 13 points and four assists.

Rutgers senior guard Elmer McCalebb scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds in his final collegiate game. Zach Peterson was the only other double-digit scorer with 11 points.

Fourth-seeded Connecticut defeated fifth-seeded USC 84-64, so West Virginia will face off against the Huskies in the Midwest Regional Semifinals next Thursday. The Trojans had won 12 of their previous 13 games prior to falling to Connecticut. West Virginia has faced Connecticut once this season already, an 83-81 Mountaineers victory back on January 11th in Hartford, CT.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
Mar 23, 2031	1ST	2ND	SCORE
#8 Rutgers (22-10)	19	28	47
#1 West Virginia (29-7)	42	34	76

Rutgers Scarlet Knights
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
R. Garnett	27	0-4	0-3	0-0	2	5	2	0	0	0
E. McCalebb	30	5-9	2-3	0-1	5	1	0	1	0	12
Z. Peterson	31	2-9	1-4	6-6	2	1	1	0	3	11
A. Shropshire	27	3-10	0-2	0-0	5	0	1	0	2	6
A. Flowers	30	2-6	0-0	2-2	6	0	2	1	1	6
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J. Hobson	7	0-3	0-2	2-2	0	0	1	0	1	2
H. Finn	17	1-5	1-2	0-2	1	1	0	0	0	3
D. Macura	11	1-3	1-3	2-2	2	0	1	0	3	5
D. Hopkins	21	1-6	0-0	0-2	4	1	0	0	0	2
L. Enzweller	-- DID NOT PLAY --
T. Penigar	-- DID NOT PLAY --
C. Augustin	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		15-55	5-19	12-19	27	9	8	2	10	47

West Virginia Mountaineers
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
F. Joiner	30	5-9	1-3	2-2	2	4	2	0	1	13
P. Gabler	32	2-6	2-6	0-0	9	0	2	0	0	6
M. DeLeon	30	7-14	5-10	0-0	3	3	1	0	0	19
W. Gomes	31	4-8	0-0	2-2	13	2	0	3	3	10
O. Palmer	35	6-11	0-0	1-2	4	5	2	2	1	13
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
T. Dux	17	3-4	0-1	0-0	1	3	0	0	1	6
D. Cox	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
E. Augustin	13	1-2	0-0	2-2	3	0	0	0	1	4
M. Blanchard	1	2-2	1-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	5
D. Packevicius	1	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	1	0	0	0
M. Weaver	9	0-2	0-2	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	0
TEAM TOTALS		30-59	9-23	7-8	36	17	8	5	7	76

[superjames1992]

2031 NCAA TOURNAMENT RESULTS - SECOND ROUND

EAST REGIONAL
#1 Duquesne 88, #8 Rhode Island 77
#4 Pepperdine 79, #5 Tennessee 73
#3 Arizona 74, #11 ULM 67
#2 Georgia 89, #7 Missouri 72

WEST REGIONAL
#1 Clemson 87, #9 Wake Forest 78
#12 New Orleans 84, #13 Saint Mary's 55
#11 Maryland 72, #3 Oregon 66
#2 Virginia Tech 92, #7 Villanova 54

SOUTH REGIONAL
#1 Memphis 90, #8 Notre Dame 64
#5 Florida 75, #4 Baylor 51
#3 Eastern Michigan 85, #11 Michigan State 56
#7 Duke 114, #2 San Diego State 84

MIDWEST REGIONAL
#1 West Virginia 76, #8 Rutgers 47
#4 Connecticut 84, #5 USC 64
#3 Washington State 62, #6 Boston College 56
#10 Kansas 65, #2 Florida State 64

[superjames1992]

Re: Coaching Legacy of James Frizzell (CH 2K8)

Florida State lost, and they were a 97 OVR team. That would have been a fun regional final. Oh, well. Facing off against multiple conference opponents this early in the tournament is a bit irritating, but it is what it is, I guess. This game has never tried to keep teams from the same conference from playing each other in the tournament (I guess that would be pretty complicated to code).

[superjames1992]

vs.
(4) Connecticut (25-10) vs. (1) West Virginia (30-7)
H.H.H. Metrodome
Minneapolis, MN
March 27th, 2031
NCAA Tournament - Sweet Sixteen

West Virginia advanced to the Elite Eight with a 72-69 victory over Big East foe Connecticut this evening in Minneapolis. The Mountaineers played a grind-it-out game against the Huskies, who the Mountaineers also defeated 83-81 earlier this season in Hartford.

West Virginia (30-7) led 40-37 at halftime, but Fred Joiner kicked off the second half with back-to-back threes and the Mountaineers went on an 8-0 run to open up the second period. The Mountaineers would lead by as many as 13 points in the second half, but the Huskies (25-10) closed to within two points in the waning minutes before the Mountaineers sealed the game with free throws late.

Joiner was fantastic for West Virginia as he scored a career NCAA Tournament-best 28 points and hit four threes for the Mountaineers. Fellow senior O.J. Palmer also played well as he totaled 18 points and 12 rebounds.

"It's great to see our seniors playing so well," explained West Virginia head coach James Frizzell. "They know what it takes to win this time of year and their experience really shows."

Joiner took over the game at times, especially late when the WVU offense had began to stall out and Connecticut had the momentum.

"His ability to break down guys off the dribble is really something else," explained Frizzell. "I haven't seen a lot of guys who can get to the basket as effectively as he can, and he has the size to finish layups and draw fouls once he does beat his defender. He certainly has a future at the next level."

West Virginia struggled shooting from three-point range tonight as they made just six of their 19 attempts, a 31% clip. The Mountaineers did aggressively pursue contact, however, as the shot 20/23 (87%) from the free-throw line. Fred Joiner shot 8/9 from the charity stripe.

Senior guard Matthew Bowden led Connecticut with 17 points and five assists. Fellow senior Monwell Duggins scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to record a double-double and freshman Vincent Danielson also came off the bench to add 10 points.

With the victory, the Mountaineers also recorded their sixth consecutive season with at least 30 wins and their fifth season in their last six with an Elite Eight appearance.

The top-seeded Mountaineers will face off against third-seeded Washington State on Saturday in the Midwest Regional Final. The winner will go to the Final Four, which will be played in Houston. Washington State defeated Kansas 70-54 to advance to the regional final.

Connecticut Huskies vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
Mar 27, 2031	1ST	2ND	SCORE
#4 Connecticut (25-10)	37	32	69
#1 West Virginia (30-7)	40	32	72

Connecticut Huskies
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
S. Norris	15	1-4	0-1	0-0	0	1	2	0	1	2
M. Bowden	32	7-15	1-4	2-3	0	5	2	0	2	17
D. Stafford	28	3-6	0-0	0-0	4	1	1	0	1	6
T. Siebrandt	32	2-7	0-1	2-2	2	1	4	1	2	6
M. Duggins	32	6-11	0-0	1-2	10	1	1	2	1	13
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
T. Merriex	15	1-2	0-0	0-0	6	1	0	1	1	2
K. Palmer	17	4-6	1-1	0-0	0	2	0	0	2	9
B. Bethel	6	2-2	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	4
V. Danielson	17	4-6	1-2	1-2	2	1	0	0	3	10
K. Burnett	7	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	4	1	0	0	0
C. Craig	-- DID NOT PLAY --
A. Cassler	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		30-60	3-9	6-9	24	17	11	4	13	69

West Virginia Mountaineers
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
F. Joiner	33	8-14	4-8	8-9	3	3	2	0	2	28
P. Gabler	34	2-5	2-5	1-2	3	2	3	0	2	7
M. DeLeon	33	1-8	0-4	7-8	1	2	0	1	2	9
W. Gomes	33	1-3	0-0	0-0	5	1	1	1	1	2
O. Palmer	34	8-16	0-0	2-2	12	3	3	2	2	18
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
T. Dux	13	0-3	0-2	2-2	4	1	1	0	1	2
E. Augustin	13	3-5	0-0	0-0	4	1	1	0	1	6
M. Weaver	7	0-0	0-0	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	0
D. Cox	-- DID NOT PLAY --
M. Blanchard	-- DID NOT PLAY --
D. Packevicius	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		23-54	6-19	20-23	29	15	12	4	12	72

[superjames1992]

2031 NCAA TOURNAMENT RESULTS - SWEET SIXTEEN

EAST REGIONAL
#1 Duquesne 92, #4 Pepperdine 63
#3 Arizona 96, #2 Georgia 85

WEST REGIONAL
#1 Clemson 100, #12 New Orleans 53
#11 Maryland 75, #2 Virginia Tech 68

SOUTH REGIONAL
#5 Florida 81, #1 Memphis 67
#7 Duke 77, #3 Eastern Michigan 62

MIDWEST REGIONAL
#1 West Virginia 72, #4 Connecticut 69
#3 Washington State 70, #10 Kansas 54

[Knickerbocker91]

Re: Coaching Legacy of James Frizzell (CH 2K8)

Congrats on making it to the Elite Eight. Reading your works always rekindles the fire to do my own, though the success you've had would be a tall mountain to climb. If Duke gets by Florida, please destroy them lol.

[LopaKa]

Re: Coaching Legacy of James Frizzell (CH 2K8)

nice job cruising through the first two rounds, then winning a close one over UConn. Good luck in the Elite 8, how good is Washington State?

[pfeifere1]

Re: Coaching Legacy of James Frizzell (CH 2K8)

Well done on eclipsing 30 wins yet again...something we may not have seen as a possibility towards the back end of the regular season!

Nicely done so far in the tournament as well. I wonder what Maryland's ratings are. I imagine they must have underperformed during the season, because this is quite a run they are on in the tourney!

[superjames1992]

Re: Coaching Legacy of James Frizzell (CH 2K8)

Congrats on making it to the Elite Eight. Reading your works always rekindles the fire to do my own, though the success you've had would be a tall mountain to climb. If Duke gets by Florida, please destroy them lol.

Thanks. It would be good to see you back running a legacy!

nice job cruising through the first two rounds, then winning a close one over UConn. Good luck in the Elite 8, how good is Washington State?

Washington State is a 91 OVR team, which is the same OVR as Connecticut. My team is a 95 OVR, so we are definitely better, but not by a whole lot, at least on paper.

Well done on eclipsing 30 wins yet again...something we may not have seen as a possibility towards the back end of the regular season!

Nicely done so far in the tournament as well. I wonder what Maryland's ratings are. I imagine they must have underperformed during the season, because this is quite a run they are on in the tourney!

Thanks! Maryland is a 90 OVR team, which is pretty good, and definitely better than your run-of-the-mill 11th-seeded team. I remember running into a double-digit seeded team back earlier in this legacy (I think it was Oregon State a number of seasons back) and getting bounced in the second round, but they had an OVR in the low 90s...not far for a #11ish seed!

Clemson is the best remaining team in the tournament with a 96 OVR. Florida State had a 97 OVR. Too bad I am not playing them in the Midwest Regional Final. That would have been fun!

[superjames1992]

vs.
(3) Washington State (26-10) vs. (1) West Virginia (31-7)
H.H.H. Metrodome
Minneapolis, MN
March 29th, 2031
NCAA Tournament - Elite Eight

The West Virginia Mountaineers (31-7) punched their tickets to the Final Four this evening with an 87-51 thrashing of the Washington State Cougars (26-10). West Virginia led wire-to-wire, but blew it open with a 23-2 run the first 8:58 after the halftime break that turned a considerable, but not insurmountable, 35-24 halftime lead into a 58-26 blowout.

West Virginia used a balanced scoring attack that saw all five starters score in double-figures. Myron DeLeon scored 19 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead the Mountaineers in scoring. Predrag Gabler added 18 points and four rebounds and Fred Joiner just missed out on a double-double as he tallied 18 points, five rebounds, nine assists, and four steals. Willie Gomes did secure a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds and O.J. Palmer was a dominant force defensively as he tallied 12 points, 11 rebounds, four steals, and a career-best six blocks.

As a team, the Mountaineers blocked 12 shots, with Palmer getting six of them, Ethan Augustin two, and Theron Dux, Willlie Gomes, Myron DeLeon, and Fred Joiner each blocking one shot. The Cougars shot just 34% (20/58) from the field and were outrebounded 37-23. The Mountaineers shot over 50% from the field (35/68) and made 11/22 (50%) of their three-point attempts.

Senior guard Boomer Blanchard was the only Washington State player to score in double-figures as he ended his career with 17 points on 7/15 shooting. The rest of the Washington State starting lineup shot just 5/28 (18%) from the field as the Mountaineers suffocated the Cougars.

With the victory, West Virginia head coach James Frizzell will head to his 10th career Final Four, and will look for his fourth national championship. His Mountaineers will face off against the Duke Blue Devils, who emerged as a surprise out of the ACC as the seventh-seeded team out of the South Region. The Blue Devils defeated fifth-seeded Florida 75-62 in the South Regional Final. Duke previously defeated 10th-seeded Siena, second-seeded San Diego State, and third-seeded Eastern Michigan on their path to the Final Four.

Duke enters the Final Four with a record of just 22-15, but have won eight consecutive games. The last game they lost was at home against the Virginia Cavaliers in their final game of the regular season. Duke went on to surprisingly win the ACC Tournament, the best conference in the country, and have been on a run of destiny ever since. They will run into a West Virginia team that Frizzell wants to craft into a dynasty, and winning a third national title in four years would go a long way towards doing that. Regardless, it will be the Mountaineers' fifth trip to the Final Four in the last six seasons.

Duke upset West Virginia way back on January 9th at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Mountaineers will be looking to get revenge for that game, adding another layer of intrigue to this Final Four matchup.

Washington State Cougars vs. West Virginia Mountaineers
Mar 29, 2031	1ST	2ND	SCORE
#3 Washington State (26-10)	24	27	51
#1 West Virginia (31-7)	35	52	87

Washington State Cougars
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
R. Leslie	33	3-9	2-6	0-0	1	9	1	0	8	8
B. Blanchard	33	7-15	3-6	0-0	1	3	1	0	1	17
S. Gillingham	23	1-7	0-4	0-0	7	0	1	0	0	2
E. Nashif	34	1-2	0-0	0-0	6	1	1	0	0	2
B. Kirkland	27	0-10	0-0	0-0	6	0	2	0	1	0
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
L. Fernandez	17	2-5	1-2	3-3	1	1	2	0	1	8
D. Thompson	5	1-3	1-2	0-0	0	0	0	0	1	3
L. Vitelli	4	2-3	0-0	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	4
F. Brock	8	0-1	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
I. Rogers	16	3-3	0-0	1-	0	0	1	0	1	7
D. Fraser	-- DID NOT PLAY --
P. Ngounou	-- DID NOT PLAY --
TEAM TOTALS		20-58	7-21	4-4	23	14	9	0	13	51

West Virginia Mountaineers
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
F. Joiner	34	8-10	2-3	0-0	5	9	4	1	0	18
P. Gabler	32	7-12	3-6	1-1	4	1	1	0	0	18
M. DeLeon	33	7-11	5-8	0-0	5	2	0	1	2	19
W. Gomes	34	6-13	0-0	1-3	10	0	0	1	2	13
O. Palmer	34	5-15	0-0	2-2	11	3	4	6	0	12
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
T. Dux	11	1-3	0-2	2-2	0	1	1	1	1	4
D. Cox	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0
E. Augustin	11	0-1	0-0	0-0	1	1	1	2	2	0
M. Blanchard	1	0-1	0-1	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	0
D. Packevicius	1	1-2	1-2	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	3
M. Weaver	6	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	1	1	0	1	0
TEAM TOTALS		35-69	11-22	6-8	37	18	12	12	8	87

[superjames1992]

2031 NCAA TOURNAMENT RESULTS - ELITE EIGHT

EAST REGIONAL
#1 Duquesne 87, #3 Arizona 82

WEST REGIONAL
#1 Clemson 92, #11 Maryland 46

SOUTH REGIONAL
#7 Duke 75, #5 Florida 62

MIDWEST REGIONAL
#1 West Virginia 87, #3 Washington State 51