Review of Round One

I was scripting a review of day one and realized that it would be in my reader's (both of them) best interest if I waited for the second slate of games.

I had taken some heat for calling every single number one seed over-rated, but I think Round One proved me right. Duke struggled with Southern University for most of the game, as did Memphis with Oral Roberts and Villanova with the great basketball Mecca Monmouth. UConn was actually losing by 12 in the second half to the Albany Great Danes before a late game run to seal the deal. Considering a few years ago the average point difference between a one and 16 seed was 37, these guys look vunerable.

Gonzaga further proved that anyone can play with them. I am actually a casual fan of the Big X, but Xavier isn't exactly...how should I put this...good this year and they gave the Zags all they could handle.

Syracuse's luck ran out, like I predicted. But Gerry McNamara's sarcasm filled post-game conference actually made me feel pretty bad for him, I like the guy, I hope he can somehow carve a nitch into the NBA.

For the first time in five years I don't pick Michigan State to lose in the first round, and they tank it...screw you Michigan State Basketball.

For they first time EVER I go against Kentucky in the first round and they pull off the victory.

Minor setbacks people, minor setbacks.

Boston College almost gave me a coronary with that double over-time fiasco against Pacific. Craig Smith almost won the Joey Harrington "I am going to ruin an entire sports season for Zach after he has defended and stood by me" Award with that travel with 4 seconds left in regulation giving Pacific a chance to win it.

It took a half for them to get started, but LSU flexed it muscle against Iona and showed why I like them so much. For the record freshman Tyrus Thomas is currently in the lead by costing the NCAA approx. $130 when he misplaced three basketballs into the crowd, two on monster blocks, one on a ridiculous pass that may have actually left the arena all-together.

I think I am going to give myself the "Most Inexplicable, ridiculously Stupid Omission from an NCAA Preview" Award for forgetting to not only mention, but to realize that the great Steve Fisher was still prowling the sidelines for San Diego State. The Fish is looking much older now than he did in the days of The Fab Five at Michigan. Much like Coach Norman Dale, Fisher may have never been the best in-game coach, but the guy got it done in every other aspect of the game. I think The Fonz's Defensive Coordinator from The Waterboy could have coached that 1989 Title winning team when Glen Rice set the NCAA record for consecutive sprint-off-the-pick-fade-away-threes at 173. And the Fab Five could coach themselves to two straight title game loses to UNC and Duke.

But give Fisher credit, he did what no Big Ten coach was smart enough to do, double team Marco Killingsworth before he even could catch a pass. Had it not been for Indiana's extreme emotional edge and timely shooting from Robert Vaden, the Aztecs would have marched on.

Marquette was the right pick, I will always stand by that one. No amount of basketball analysis can account for a player (Alabama's Jean Felix and his 8ppg average) who had gone 6-22 in his previous four games for three, coming out and hitting his first 5 threes and finishing 8-11 from deep with 31 points in what ended up being a 3 point win for the Tide. Hats off the the kid, he played a great game, but its crazy unpredictable stuff like that which makes the Tournament so fun, and so heartbreaking. Anyone who says that the pick of Marquette wasn't right is just being as ridiculously stubborn as I am.

Anyways, Duke is already up double digits on GW and I have to get mentally prepared for the rest of the games today. Sweet 16 analysis coming Monday.