Round of 32 Matchup

  Earlier today, Gonzaga beat Southern University, 64-58.  Pittsburgh lost to Wichita State today too.  This means Gonzaga will be playing Wichita State in the round of 32.  Pittsburgh is a team who can bring on the pressure.  Many people were expecting Pitt to win.  The reason Pitt won so many games was because of their home court advantage.  The Panthers are not a very good team on the road.  This game was in neutral territory, and Pitt didn't have as much fan support and noise as they did during the regular season.  Wichita State was a team that surprised many people last year.  They are a good team that can grind out any win.  When they are told they can't win, they win, and they make it a big deal.  Gonzaga had an amazing record this season at 31-2.  Their only significant loss was to Butler in the middle of the season.  Butler also won today.  Gonzaga didn't have a very difficult schedule this season, a result of their astounding record.  Still, to only lose two games in one season is impressive no matter who you play.  When Gonzaga plays Wichita State, I think Wichita State will win.  Wichita State is a team that grinds out wins in hostile environments and in important games.  Gonzaga has been celebrating and they will most likely carry that on when they play Wichita State.  This is normal for any team and any player after a big win, especially after a close win.  Wichita State remains calm and keeps their composure, allowing them to comeback from large deficits.  This game will be a hard fought battle though.  Every player's skin will be left on the floor from hustling.

By Ameen I.

NCAA Tournament Seeds

The NCAA tournament seeds have been releases and the top 5 seeds are listed below.

Midwest                                                               South

1. Louisville                                                            1. Kansas
2. Duke                                                                  2. Georgetown
3. Michigan State                                                    3. Florida
4. Saint Louis                                                          4. Michigan
5. Oklahoma State                                                  5. VCU (Virginia Commenwealth University)

West                                                                     East

1. Gonzaga                                                             1. Indiana
2. Ohio State                                                          2. Miami
3. New Mexico                                                      3. Marquette
4. Kansas State                                                      4. Syracuse
5. Wisconsin                                                           5. UNLV

By David B.

Player Watch

  The NCAA is full of spontaneous athletes, especially in Men's College Basketball.  The underrated player in Men's basketball is Shabazz Muhammad.  He is an excellent player who has all of the fundamentals of basketball that a coach likes and needs.  He led the UCLA Bruins to beat Arizona about a week ago.  In fact, he is averaging 18.1 points, 5 rebounds, and 0.1 blocks per game.  Muhammad runs the court quickly for fast breaks, making it easy for transition all-oops.  Against Arizona, he had pink eye but still played and had a dominant performance.  Shabazz Muhammad would make a great fit on an NBA team.  Most coaches would also like that he has a very quick release.  This way, he can slow down and save energy while draining a three.  If he gets a sudden pass and a defender is collapsing on him, then he can just shoot.  He deserves more credit, because he is making a team that wasn't heard of this year into a team starting to shine.

By Ameen I.

Big East

  The Big East is one of the most difficult conference in the country.  I think that the most difficult conferences in the nation are the Big Ten, ACC, and the Big East.  Right now, I am focusing on the Big East.  The Big East is expected to have seven teams in the NCAA March Madness Tournament.  Michael Carter-Williams from the Syracuse Orange is drawing attention for being the Big East Player of the Year.  In my opinion, Carter-Williams doesn't deserve the prestigious award.  Many players have risen this season.  Some of these players weren't eve heard of until this season.  Georgetown is in first place in the Big East after upsetting Syracuse in front of an NCAA record breaking crowd.  I think the Big East Player of the Year should go to Otto Porter of the Georgetown Hoyas.  He is an amazing player who can do the three things that every coach wants; to pass, shoot, and dribble.  Porter has had success against Big East foes in crucial games.  Otto Porter has led Georgetown in his years in college. He has been heavily guarded and still is scoring many of Georgetown's points.  I like the way that he doesn't get too fired up when he makes an important bucket, he remains humble.  Otto Porter reminds me of a player; Brandon Triche from Syracuse.  Every time either player drains an important basket, they remain quiet and get ready to play defense.  Although, Otto Porter is a better shooter than Brandon Triche and scores more points than him.  I think there are only two players who should be in the running for the Sixth Man of the Year race, James Southerland from Syracuse and Davante Gardner from Marquette.  Both players have faced off this season, Marquette coming out on top.  James Southerland has the ability to drain long distance threes and get some boards.  If he is tired he can jog over and be the trailer, and drill a three-pointer.  Davante Gardner is a big man and pushes people out to get rebounds, legally.  I like the way he uses his body to push defenders out and make space in the paint for himself to get the rebound.  Both players should receive more credit.  In my opinion, C.J. Fair from the Syracuse Orange doesn't receive the credit that he should be receiving.  Also, Russ Smith from Louisville.  C.J. Fair leads his team in rebounds and scores many of the Orange's points.  Russ Smith is a fast athlete with great cardiovascular endurance.  He has a great shot and can be relied upon in clutch moments.  Both of these players should receive more national spotlight and lead their teams to victories.  I think the most disappointing player of the year in the Big East is Peyton Siva from the Louisville Cardinals.  Last year he scared teams with his speed and passing abilities.  Now, he's barely an offensive threat for opposing teams.  He also backs down in rivalry games and doesn't score in the moments needed.  I think he needs to start scoring now, or else his career will start going down and won't return to hat he started at.  By Ameen I.

Teams Shining and Falling

  The AP Top 25 Poll has just come out.  With Syracuse breaking an NCAA record of on campus attendance at a game with 35,012 and losing to the Georgetown Hoyas.  Miami was upset by Wake Forest and Gonzaga has moved up to the number 2 spot.  Indiana stayed at the number one spot after losing to Illinois and has stayed atop the nation.  Teams have risen and they have sunk while being in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll.  I think the player that should receive the most credit should be Otto Porter of the Georgetown Hoyas.  He is an amazing player, leading Georgetown to many of their wins. The following is a list of the Top 25 teams in the AP Top 25 Poll.

1) Indiana
2) Gonzaga
3) Duke
4) Michigan
5) Miami (FL)
6) Kansas
7) Georgetown
8) Florida
9) Michigan State
10) Louisville
11) Arizona
12) Syracuse
13) Kansas State
14) New Mexico
15) Oklahoma State
16) Ohio State
17) Wisconsin
18) Saint Louis
19) Memphis
20) Butler
21) Notre Dame
22) Marquette
23) Pittsburgh
24) Oregon
25) Louisiana Tech                                                                                                                By Ameen I.

Villanova Creeping Up

  March is just around the corner, and that means that March Madness is about to begin.  With the NCAA March Madness Tournament coming up it means there will be more and more talk about which teams will be the number one seed and which teams are on the bubble.  I think the team that has a very good chance of making it into the tournament this year is the Big East team Villanova.  The Wildcats have upset very good teams in the Big East.  For example, they beat Louisville, part of the Cardinals' three game losing-streak.  Villanova also upset the Syracuse Orange.  After beating Louisville, Villanova edged out the Orange in an overtime thriller.  The Wildcats had sent the Orange into a two game losing-streak and a three game road losing-streak.  They will be a team to look out for, with their ability to drain three-pointers in clutch moments.

By Ameen I.

'Cuse in Trouble Again

          First, it was Bernie Fine involved with the child sexual abuse case.  Then, it was the Syracuse basketball drug scandle.  Now, it's James Southerland.

          As you may know, Southerland is already in suspention for academic issues.  But that is definatly not a first for Syracuse.  Anyway, the NCAA has decided to look into Syracuse's academic profiles.  There is a big chance that James Southerland's tutor wrote a proportion of his term paper.  This is not good for Syracuse because Southerland is their third leading scorer.  But, Syracuse has definatly found theirseleves in a lot of trouble over the years!


                                                   By: Tarky L.