First-timers struggled to find NCAA groove
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
Leave it to Gonzaga to be the only lower seeded team to advance to
the second round on the first day of the NCAA Tournament.
The Bulldogs, who are comfortable in Cinderella's slipper, picked
apart Louisville in a 7-10 matchup that was akin to last year's
first-round upset of Minnesota in the West Regional.
|  | | Tayshaun Prince lit up St. Bonaventure for 28 points. |
But the upset bids that fell just short -- from St. Bonaventure to Northern Arizona to
Central Connecticut State to Southeast Missouri State -- shouldn't come as a
surprise.
Kentucky was this week's team turmoil after suspending guard Desmond
Allison to start the week. The Wildcats were ripe for an upset, and had it
not been for Tayshaun Prince's arrival as Kentucky's go-to player, the
Bonnies would have won the game. Prince hit a crucial 3-pointer to send the
game into overtime, but even before the final buzzer, his slight bump on the
Bonnies' Tim Winn was enough to force his shot away from the basket.
The Wildcats, who haven't lost a first-round game since 1987 (the 'Cats lost to Ohio State 91-77 as a No. 8) were a confused and lost lot until Prince
saved them. St. Bonaventure, one of the most experienced
teams in the tournament, shouldn't be ashamed of its showing. They weren't
a traditional 12 seed and would have been higher had they not hit a
mid-season skid.
Iowa State and LSU, two teams that escaped upsets to CCSU and
SEMO, were easy targets because they had no experience in the NCAA Tournament. Disregard
the Cyclones' No. 2 seed, Big 12 titles or even the name recognition of
Marcus Fizer. He had never played in a tournament -- neither had Jamaal
Tinsley, and Larry Eustachy's last NCAA game was a first-round loss to
Maryland when we was Utah State's coach two years ago. Iowa State's jitters
were natural when the game got tight in the second half, but Fizer and company
lived up to their seeding by pulling away after the game was tied at 69 with six minutes, 10 seconds left.
LSU fit the same profile as the Cyclones. Stromile Swift, Jabari
Smith, Torris Bright and crew were all making their maiden NCAA trip, albeit armed with a
No. 4 seed and a SEC West division title. SEMO, a first-timer too, had every
reason to think it could win, and nearly did, with both teams figuring out
how to get through a tournament game together.
Not every favorite who had their hands full were tourney first-timers, though. Northern Arizona had the benefit of playing this season's ongoing soap opera called St. John's a few hours from its Flagstaff campus. The Lumberjacks got the tempo to their liking and nearly lulled the Red
Storm into an upset. Yes, the same Red Storm who were one game away from the Final Four last season.
When the day was done, UCLA survived a scare from Ball State to set
up one of the best second-round matchups in the tournament against Maryland.
Fresno State and Jerry Tarkanian were out after blowing a lead by shooting
too quickly against Wisconsin's packed defense, and Utah's Rick Majerus kept
his streak alive with another first-round win even though he lost Jeremy
Killion to a knee injury.
Tark lost in the first round for the first time in 17 tournament appearances, but should be
applauded for making the field of 64. However, Dick Bennett's Badgers may be the
turnaround team this season after needing to make a run simply to make the
tournament.
What else did we learn? That Michigan State is the most dominant No.
1 seed, after a stifling defensive performance against Valparaiso. No. 3 Maryland
isn't far behind thanks to its shut-down job of Iona, and top-seeded Arizona can be
beaten if the tempo isn't in its favor (are you listening, Wisconsin?).
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.
|
