It sure seems like everyone overvalued the Big East this season. The conference’s top four teams advanced, but teams five through eight all lost.
For some local flavor, how about Cornell? The Big Red deserved better than a No. 12 seed and proved as much in a decisive victory over Temple on Friday. Next up for Cornell is No. 4 seed Wisconsin.
Expect more great action on Saturday. The game I’m most excited to see is No. 2 Kansas State and No. 7 BYU, which is scheduled to tip off at 8:10 p.m. ET.
12:35 a.m.: Maryland looks poised to take the final game of the first round. The ACC has had a pretty good two days, going 4-2.
12:25 a.m.: The Pac-10 Conference only got two bids to this tournament, but both of those teams (Cal and Washington) have advanced to the second round. The Big East's eight teams are 4-4 so far. It looks like the middle of the Big East is not as good as we thought it was.
12:22 a.m.: That technical foul pretty much sealed Louisville's fate. Cal is going to take this one, as the Big East's non-elite teams continue to struggle.
12:19 a.m.: Slick Rick Pitino just picked up a technical foul. That will really, really hurt Louisville's chances of coming back. Cal now gets four free throws plus the ball.
12:15 a.m.: I love these little Census commercials. Please fill out your Census form, or the government will come to your door. OK, I may have made that last part up.
12:10 a.m.: Maryland is in the bonus with just less than 12 minutes to play. The Terrapins should continue to attack and use this to their advantage.
12:07 a.m.: Nice. Cal and Louisville on the big screen. The Cardinals are on a big 12-2 run. Of course, Cal just banged a 3. The Golden Bears are still having difficulty with this 2-3 zone.
12:02 a.m.: Two games still under way. Cal has been in control throughout, but one good Louisville run could quickly change that. Maryland looks like it is finally starting to exert its dominance against Houston.
11:56 p.m.: Louisville and Houston are good for a strong dunk or a nice 3-pointer every few minutes, but neither team can make a real move on the scoreboard.
The Ohio State game is closer than I thought it would be, but the Buckeyes never looked like they were in any real danger.
11:52 p.m.: Syracuse advances in impressive fashion. Playing without Arinze Onuaku, the Orange dominated Vermont. I know, I know, it's only Vermont. But it was still a dominating performance for a team playing without their best interior player.
11:50 p.m.: Louisville is staying within striking distance, even though it is only 3-for-15 from beyond the arc. As long as the Cardinals do not turn the ball over and work the ball down low, they will have a chance.
11:40 p.m.: Cal is terrific at turning defense into offense, but it is still having trouble with Louisville's zone. The Cardinals must not turn the ball over if they hope to win this one.
11:35 p.m.: Can Louisville go on a second-half run, or will it make a quick exit like several other Big East teams? For my bracket's sake, I hope the Cards lose. But I think this game is going to have a great ending.
11:23 p.m.: Another half-courter! This time it's Houston that hits the shot. It trails Maryland by only two points at the half. I thought Maryland would win going away, but Houston has been with the Terps every step of the way.
11:12 p.m.: A great half-courter to end the half in the Cal-Louisville game. Cal's Jerome Randal hit a shot a few steps inside midcourt right at the buzzer. Still, Louisville did a great job of regrouping in this game, holding Cal to 41 points after a very quick start for the Golden Bears.
11:03 p.m.: Cal is getting murdered on the defensive glass, resulting in several easy put-backs for the Cardinals. Louisville's 2-3 zone is giving Cal trouble. It seems like all of Cal's points have come in transition. I would expect that the Golden Bears would carve up Louisville's zone with their shooting, but that has not happened.
10:55 p.m.: Houston just had four offensive rebounds on one trip down the floor. That is actually not a surprise. Maryland is one of the worst defensive rebounding teams in the country. Yes, in the country.
10:52 p.m.: A nice run by Louisville has the Cards back in this game. They have done a nice job of weathering Cal's strong start. I still like Cal, but Pitino knows how to win in the NCAA Tournament.
10:46 p.m.: Like I said earlier. the Cal game and the Maryland game are both going to be fun to watch. Both will be very fast-paced. As I say that, Cal grabs a defensive board and flies down the court for two more.
10:41 p.m.: Cal is showing folks on the East what people on the West Coast already know: The Golden Bears can score.
10:36 p.m.: North Carolina head coach Roy Williams is featured in two commercials (Citi and Lexus) that have been airing constantly. I'm guessing these ads were recorded before his team went in the tank.
10:29 p.m.: Cal just jacked up a shot from about 30 feet away. You might want to get just a tad bit closer than that.
CBS has cut away from the 'Cuse game for good reason. That could be a long game for Vermont.
10:26 p.m.: What do you know, another Big East team has come out slow. Louisville is down 12-0 to Cal. For the Cards' sake, they need to get it going, because the Golden Bears will not stop scoring.
10:25 p.m.: I do not know why there is no love for California. The Golden Bears have a great RPI ranking and won the Pac-10. Granted, the Pac-10 was down this year, but it’s not like a conference title is meaningless. Cal also played Kansas, Syracuse, Ohio State, New Mexico, and Murray State in their nonconference schedule. The Bears are not great on defense, but they are a terrific offensive team.
10:21 p.m.: Here is a stat about Louisville. The Cardinals finished sixth in the Big East, going 2-5 against the teams who finished above them, with both victories coming against Syracuse. So is Louisville a good team, or are they are an average team that has Syracuse’s number?
10:20 p.m.: California and Lousiville are about to tip off. Wait a second. Did I really pick a team coached by Mike Montgomery (Cal) to beat Rick Pitino. What was I thinking?
10:18 p.m.: Unlike other Big East teams, Syracuse has come out strong. It is dominating Vermont early. At this point, the only thing the Orangemen need to worry about is becoming overconfident and having a letdown.
10:13 p.m.: Ohio State and UC Santa Barbara are under way. I have no interst in that one. I don't think Ohio State will have much trouble. The other two games Friday night are a different story. California-Louisville and Maryland-Houston should both be fun to watch. All four of those teams like to play offense.
10:07 p.m.: I am not normally excited to see No. 1 versus No. 16 matchups, but I want to see how Syracuse plays without AO.
10:05 p.m.: I'm sorry, I wanted the Spartans to win, but that was a terrible lane violation call against New Mexico State. How do you make that call with 18 seconds to play?
10:03 p.m.: A lane violation against New Mexico State in the final 20 seconds. The kid may have stepped in, but that is a very tough call. Michigan State hit the extra free throw and went on to win by three.
10:00 p.m.: It looks like Syracuse and Vermont have started in Buffalo. This one could be interesting with Arinze Onuaku out.
9:56 p.m.: Michigan State has 14 offensive rebounds in this game. That is the Spartans' entire offense. Their free-throw shooting has been terrible down the stretch. Rebounding is the only thing saving them.
9:52 p.m.: Michigan State is dominating the glass on both ends late in this game. That is clearly the difference. I hope the Spartans can hang on. I would rather not lose another Sweet 16 team.
9:38 p.m.: Luckily, Michigan State can offensive rebound, because it just bricked two free throws. Offensive rebounds are really the Spartans' best offense.
9:32 p.m.: Georgia Tech holds off Oklahoma State. That is good for my bracket. Now, let's see what the heck is going on with the Spartans.
9:24 p.m.: One of my teams (Florida State) is down. Hopefully, Georgia Tech can pull this one out. Meanwhile, Michigan State leads by three. How?
9:16 p.m.: Florida State has missed three straight free throws. Defensive rebounding and free throws are the two most important things when it comes to winning late.
9:11 p.m.: Florida State is trying to kill me. It has crawled back, but just bricked the front end of a one-and-one. FSU better not tear my heart out.
9:09 p.m.: What the heck is Michigan State doing? The Spartans lead by only two. I am even wearing a Sparty T-shirt right now. I guess I'll check it out once these other two games ends. If only I had three televisions.
9:07 p.m.: Florida State is back to within five of Gonzaga. This game is being played in Buffalo, but it sure sounds like a pro-FSU crowd. I suppose not many Gonzaga fans made the trek from Washington.
Meanwhile, this Tech-Oklahoma State game is coming down to the wire. I love March.
9:03 p.m.: Oh my goodness. Gonzaga just blocked a FSU shot off the backboard. The Zags have more than enough athleticism to compete with Florida State.
9:01 p.m.: Duke is cruising, but Michigan State only leads New Mexico State by nine. Plenty of time left in that one. Unfortuantely, I cannot watch it because I have to see if Georgia Tech can hang on and if Florida State can make a run.
8:56 p.m.: Georgia Tech is playing better in this second half. Less turnovers. Plus, with its size, Tech should be playing slow, which it is doing in this half. Come on ,Yellow Jackets.
8:53 p.m.: Duke is having no problem. I'm glad CBS did not stick with that game.
8:50 p.m.: Florida State has been able to claw back into its game with Gonzaga. This is the Seminole defense I expected. They are suffocating the Zags.
8:46 p.m.: I had a llittle computer trouble, but we are back online now. Georgia Tech and Oklahoma State are playing a great, back-and-forth game. This is fun to watch.
8:26 p.m.: All right, Florida State, it's time to start playing some offense – 19 points in the first half is a joke.
8:22 p.m.: Michigan State is rolling against New Mexico State. I did expect that. New Mexico State’s stats are terrible. It does not force turnovers, is terrible at field-goal percentage defense, and is a bad rebounding team on both ends. Does that sound like a team that can beat Michigan State?
8:15 p.m.: Two games are at the half, and I am losing both of them, with Florida State and Georgia Tech trailing. Maybe I should not have picked two teams that turn the ball over like it's their job.
8:04 p.m.: Gonzaga goes to the half leading Florida State by 16. The Seminoles are going to be lucky to crack 40 points in this game.
8:00 p.m.: Ah, now I see why Georgia Tech has problems. The Yellow Jackets turn the ball over almost as much as Florida State does. Tech has way too much talent to turn the ball over that much. That is a sign of an undisciplined team.
7:56 p.m.: Georgia Tech has so much talent: Derrick Favors, Gani Lawal, Zachery Peacock, Iman Shumpert. How did this team go 7-9 in the ACC this year?
7:54 p.m.: A Sonic commercial just came on. I have not gone to the new Sonic in Peabody, Massachusetts. I do not understand why I would want to sit in my car and eat fast food. Why do I want my car to smell like discount burgers?
7:50 p.m.: Gonzaga gets called for carrying. I love the fact that college officials have started to enforce the carrying rule. This is real basketball, not And1.
7:47 p.m.: I keep watching the Gonzaga game hoping that Florida State will go on a run. I'm about two minutes away from putting on the Georgia Tech game.
7:44 p.m.: Duke is ahead by 10 points after six minutes. When will CBS go away from this game? I would rather watch any of the three other games. How about Oklahoma State and Georgia Tech?
7:42 p.m.: I picked Florida State to beat Gonzaga because I was thinking that good defense trumps good offense. However, the Seminoles need to score. They are going to have trouble winning this game if they only score 40 points. Actually, they are on pace for less than 40. This is not good.
7:36 p.m.: It looks like good Gonzaga has shown up. Florida State is having a heck of a time stopping them. The Zags can heat up like a microwave, but they also can cool down quickly.
7:34 p.m.: Florida State loves to turn the ball over. It just blocked a shot, then sprinted down the floor in transition and fired a pass that was not even close to anyone. Of the 347 teams in college basketball, the Seminoles are ranked 334th in offensive turnover percentage. That is bad, real bad.
7:30 p.m.: Fortunately, I have a second computer fired up, so I can watch games that do not involve Duke beating up on an inferior team.
7:27 p.m.: Come on, CBS. Don't bring me the Duke game. Please. Pretty please.
7:25 p.m.: The Florida State and Gonzaga game is going to be a battle of two different styles. I am not sure if the Seminoles can score enough points to win this one. I am not sure what the Seminoles are even trying to do on offense. They are passing the ball around without any real purpose right now.
7:21 p.m.: Oklahoma State has been getting great buzz since the brackets came out, but I am not a believer. It has one "great" player, James Anderson. I do not think Anderson is as great as everyone else does. He scores a lot of points, but he also takes a ton of shots.
7:18 p.m.: Oklahoma State and Georgia Tech just tipped off. Statistically speaking, Georgia Tech is very sound (except the Yellow Jackets turn the ball over at an alarming rate). However, it finished 7-9 in the ACC during the regular season, losing a lot of close games. Finding ways to win close games is what the NCAA Tournament is all about. Can Tech find a way against Oklahoma State? I think it can.
7:12 p.m.: I don't like Florida State's all black unis. I hate when a team changes its uniform colors. I still think of the Seminoles with red and gold colors. Why change? Do they think the all black is more intimidating?
7:10 p.m.: After a brief break, the tourney is about to start again with No. 8 Gonzaga and No. 9 Florida State. Of course, I assume all of us in New England will be sent to the Duke game once it starts around 7:25 p.m. I do enjoy Duke, but I have no desire to watch them beat up on Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
6:54 p.m.: What's worse than watching the last two minutes of a 15-point game where you did not pick the winner? That's where I am right now with Utah State. Unfortunately, there is nothing else on for another 15 minutes.
6:47 p.m.: Texas A&M is putting the finishing touches on this win. The No. 5 seed Aggies have looked strong. They were the beneficiary of some poor shooting from Utah State, but Texas A&M is a team that can advance.
Texas A&M will play Purdue on Sunday. Without Robbie Hummel, Purdue is just not the same. I thought the winner of this game would be able to take them. Unfortuantely, I thought Utah State would be that team.
6:38 p.m.: It looks like Utah State is going to fall, but I still like my pick. If it had shot better (which is a strength), the game would have been much different. Utah State is the second-best 3-point shooting team in the nation, but it is 5–for-18 in this game. You can't anticipate that.
6:30 p.m.: Apparently, Utah State head coach Stew Morrill was asked how his players, mostly from Utah, got to be so good. Morrill answered "the church." That does not make me feel good about picking them. Apparently, the church did not teach them how to defend.
6:24 p.m.: Citi's Ivan Brothers commercials got me. I love them. I checked out the Ivan Brothers Web site this afternoon, and I suggest you do the same. It's six good minutes.
6:12 p.m.: Only one game is going on right now, the dreaded 4:45 p.m. game. I used to always hate that this game was not televised, but now that CBS broadcasts every game on the Internet, it's not a big deal.
My Utah State team is having trouble against Texas A&M. The difference has been the 3-point line, but not the way you would think. Utah State is the second-best 3-point shooting team in the nation, but Texas A&M is the team shooting 7-for-14 from beyond the arc. I have Utah State going to the Sweet 16, so it better heat up for my sake.
5:49 p.m.: Day 2 of the 2010 NCAA Tournament has started out with more favorites advancing than the first day. All that means is we could be in for some excitement this evening.
Two double-digit seeds did advance this afternoon. No. 12 Cornell defeated No. 5 Temple, and No. 10 Missouri beat No. 7 Clemson. Cornell looked terrific in its game, leading by double digits for almost the entire game. The Big Red are playing like a team that wants to make it to the second weekend.
Looking ahead to Friday night, No. 5 Texas A&M seems like the team most likely to lose. However, "likely" is really a matter of opinion. I do not think No. 16 Vermont will beat No. 1 Syracuse in Buffalo, but who knows? One of these years a No. 16 seed will win a game.
The game I am most looking forward to is No. 8 Gonzaga and No. 9 Florida State. The Seminoles want to ugly up the game and grind out a win, while the Zags want to play a more finesse game. It should be a great contrast of styles.
Here are the games scheduled for Friday night:
No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 Arkansas-Pine Bluff
No. 1 Syracuse vs. No. 16 Vermont
No. 2 Ohio State vs. No 15 UC Santa Barbara
No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 13 Houston
No. 5 Michigan State vs. No. 12 New Mexico State
No. 5 Texas A&M vs. No. 12 Utah State (currently playing)
No. 7 Oklahoma State vs. No. 10 Georgia Tech
No. 8 California vs. No. 9 Louisville
No. 8 Gonzaga vs. No. 9 Florida State