LSU Basketball

Setting: SEC meets Atlantic 10 at the Cintas Center on the campus of Xavier University when Trent Johnson’s LSU Tigers (8-3) lock horns with Chris Mack’s Xavier Musketeers (7-4).

Plot: Both teams will look to shrug off any possible holiday hangover. Xavier last played on December 23rd (a 70-67 victory over Miami of Ohio). LSU lost in overtime to Washington St., 72-70 on December 22nd.

Sub-plots: After a season where both of these teams won their respective conferences, LSU and Xavier each need to prove themselves.  LSU is looking up at a revived Kentucky program while Mississippi State and Ole Miss have also improved. Xavier will need to knock off Temple and Dayton to win their fourth consecutive A-10 title.

Flashback: Derrick Brown dropped 22, BJ Raymond 21, and Kenny Frease scored 12 off the bench as the Musketeers won at Pete Maravich Assembly Center last season, 70-60. Xavier leads the all time series 2-1.

Foreshadowing: LSU and Xavier are well represented in the NBA. The Musketeers have sent 16 players to the pros including current players Derrick Brown, James Posey, and David West. The Tigers have graduated 31 to the pros. Shaquille O’Neal, Brandon Bass, Glen Davis, Anthony Randolph, Tyrus Thomas, and Marcus Thornton currently earn paychecks in the NBA.

Conflict: Xavier is 7-0 this season when scoring 70 or more points. LSU has allowed opponents to score 70 or more just three times. All those resulted in losses—Arizona State, UConn, and Washington State.

At 6′9″, Xavier’s Jason Love will be the tallest starter on the floor. The senior averages 9.9 boards including a pair of 19 rebound performances against Marquette and Cincinnati. LSU counters in the front court with Tasmin Mitchell (6′7″) and Storm Warren (6′7″). Mitchell and Warren combine for 20 rebounds per game.  Love averages 10 points.  Mitchell and Warren score 31 points.

While Xavier goes with their four-guard lineup, Dante Jackson will draw one of the inside assignments. Mitchell and Warren will need to keep Love in check. Love has established a jump hook this season, and with his size advantage, he should be able to use it as long as he stays out of foul trouble. Jackson will force one of LSU’s post players outside. Jackson has dropped 43 percent from behind the arc.

Chris Mack won’t hesitate to go to his bench where he can turn to Kenny Frease (7′0″) and Jamel McLean (6′8″). Johnson has a pair of 6′10″ towers to use—Dennis Harris and Garrett Green.

Harris and Green combine for six points and five rebounds per game.

Frease averages six points and 4.5 boards per game.

Chris Bass leads the SEC in assist to turnover ratio. The sophomore has 42 assists and just 13 turnovers this season.

Terrell Holloway leads the A-10 with a three to one assist to turnover ratio.

Bo Spencer averages 16.6 points for the Tigers. Mark Lyons has earned a starting spot for the Musketeers.

The difference in the game will come down to bench play. Besides Frease and McLean, Mack can go to Jordan Crawford, Brad Redford, and Andrew Taylor off the bench.

Crawford will create matchup problems for the Tigers. The sophomore guard has scored 20 points five or more times and leads the Muskies with 18.5 points. Consistency is the challenge for Crawford who tends to force too many plays.

Redford leads the A-10 in three-point percentage. The sophomore has connected on 22 of 43 attempts including 4-of-5 against Kansas State.

Both teams connect 67 percent of the time from the free throw line. The Muskies have made 37 more trips to the stripe. LSU is 51-of-171 from the three-point arc while Xavier is 82-of-190 from long range. Xavier has taken 19 fewer triple attempts than their opponents while making nine more than their adversaries from long range.

Resolution: Xavier’s bench will prove their strength. After a pair of sluggish games while recovering from the death of his father, McLean grabbed nine rebounds against Miami of Ohio. The junior has risen to the occasion in the past, and tonight will be no different.

Pickin Splinters

The LSU men's basketball team has seen some tough competition over the course of the season.

Yet, the Tigers have struggled on the court to some extent.

It could be a result of the tough schedule, or it could just be a matter of them not playing up to their potential?

The Tigers have a record of 5-2 through seven games this season, and many fans wonder if this Tigers team is good or just barely beating teams that no one really knows much about, like Northwestern State and UL Monroe.

They have won all their games at home by an average of 13.5 points, and those have been to the likes of UL-Monroe, Indiana State, Western Kentucky, ULL, and Northwestern state.

The Tigers lost both games away from the P-Mac by an average of 23 points to Connecticut and Arizona State, and these teams are who people hear about a lot.

Do you see a connection anywhere?

Now, I know that LSU lost five players, including the SEC player of the Year Marcus Thornton.

Yet, the Tigers still return two starters, Bo Spencer and Tasmin Mitchell, and the strength of Storm Warren.

They have a real good ball handler in Chris Bass and a tall, lengthy player known as Dennis Harris.

So what are they doing wrong?

Also, if you think that losing Alex Farrer was the biggest problem for LSU, you don't know the game because on one player a team does not make.

I think I got it now, maybe LSU just isn't good.

But that can't be right, because the Tigers have great players on the team who can contribute different ways.

It has to be team chemistry.

That sounds about right because when Tasmin or Bo get the ball, you can almost tell they will shoot it.

They might be feeling pressured to shoot, because they don't have the luxury or going to a person like Thornton, who is almost a guaranteed when he shoots the ball.

Those two have to understand the theme of teamwork so everyone will get better and can be better trusted with the ball.

The only other person I feel that those two are good with going to is Storm Warren because of his ability to finish at the rim.

Team chemistry is what LSU needs to develop in order to go from a mediocre team to a great team.

And for those who believe it is because of depth, save your breath because coaches try to cut the roster down to where their rotations contain eight to nine players playing per game.

Trent Johnson, the 2008-09 SEC Coach of the Year, might be making an early case for a repeat with the returns from the NIT South Region.

LSU stands at 3-0 on the season, and has won the opening round of the Dick’s Sporting Goods’ NIT Tip-Off, hosted in Baton Rouge.

After a dominant 82-62 win against Louisiana-Monroe the Tigers dispatched Indiana State, 56-45, in the opening game of the tournament.

With an impressive 71-60 upset victory over the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers—the overwhelming Favorite of the Sun Belt Conference and Top 25 vote getter—the Tigers advance to the Big Apple for the Pre-Season NIT Finals to face No. 12 UConn (3-0) in the Semi-Final.

Beating the Huskies might be a tall order for coach Johnson’s squad—picked to finish at or near the bottom of the SEC and left completely out of the top 25 conversation—who won the SEC outright last year and appeared in the second-round of the NCAA tournament.

The snub is understandable, considering what the Bayou Bengals lost—SEC Player of the Year Marcus Thornton, one of the league's best defensive big-men in Chris Johnson, ball-handler Garrett Temple, and talented workmen Terry Martin, Quintin Thornton and Delwan Graham—to graduation and the NBA draft.

What they do have is a well-coached and disciplined (if not deep) squad that seems to be playing very well together. 

Yet, despite the losses, it might be perilous to underestimate the talent of this team.

The Tigers' 6-7 small forward Tasmin Mitchell averaged over 16 points and seven rebounds last year and has been named to the Naismith Award Watch List. Their power forward, Storm Warren, has taken a lot of pressure off of Mitchell and has been downright nasty (with three double-doubles in as many games and shooting over seventy percent from the field) for opponents thus far.

Their shooting guard, Bo Spencer, is one of the most underrated players in the SEC, and led the way against the Hilltoppers with a career high 28 points; including a back-breaking three-pointer that gave the Tigers the lead for good after being tied late in the game.

With senior guard Alex Farer out with a knee injury, and four walk-ons rounding out the young roster, the Tigers can ill-afford further injury or undisciplined play.

Nor can they afford the long shooting dry-spells that kept their first three opponents closer than necessary.

Connecticut, on the other hand, is (re)loaded with talent after a Final Four appearance last year, and like LSU they play tough, hard-nosed defense. 

Unlike the Tigers, the Huskies are big; with three seven footers. They're also deep, with a nice mix of experience and youth, and could be one of the most talented teams in the country from top to bottom.

Jim Calhoun, despite an NCAA cloud hanging over his head, is unquestionably one of the elite coaches in NCAA History, and has a knack for having his teams focus on the task at hand instead of distractions or infractions or whatever.

For the Tigers, Trent Johnson might lack the lengthy resume of Calhoun, but he is well respected and looks to be on his way to building a solid program in Baton Rouge.  His teams are known to be well-conditioned and play with strong fundamentals.

If the Tigers can keep it close anything can happen.

The national media will show no respect for LSU in the lead up to this one. Vegas will likely have the Tigers a double-digit underdog, and hopefully UConn will be more focused on the ‘probable’ match-up with Duke in the NIT Final.

That’s all well and good, and frankly the Huskies probably should be a heavy favorite: Nonetheless, LSU is going to go ahead and make the trip.

You might be surprised at how good this team is, and maybe, just maybe, they’ll take a big ol' Bayou Bengal bite out of the Big Apple!

SEC West Note: Alabama, Auburn, and Mississippi State have all suffered an upset by inferior teams and Arkansas was blown out by Louisville.  Only Ole Miss (2-0) and LSU (3-0) remain unbeaten, with LSU having the most impressive win—over WKU. Another win or two in the NIT would certianly force voters to re-evaluate the Tigers ranking, or lack thereof.  

By Henry Ball (a.k.a. Southern Man) Featured Columnist and Syndicated Writer

Henry contributes to the Bleacher Report , College Gameday Network and other Sports Media outlets.

The 2008 - 2009 SEC Coach of the Year, Trent Johnson recently announced the signing of a top ten early recruiting class and looks to be in position to put together a very special squad for the 2011 team.

The apparent recruiting success as well as Johnson's first year results—27-8 finish, SEC Championship, and second round NCAA appearance—have the Bayou faithful feeling like the future is so bright they are going to need shades!

The only problem—with LSU losing SEC Player of the Year Marcus Thornton, one of the league's best defensive big-men in Chris Johnson, ball-handler Garrett Temple, and talented workmen Terry Martin, Quintin Thornton and Delwan Graham—is no one is running out to invest in the Ray-Bans just yet.

The Tigers are figured to finish at or near the bottom of the SEC West in a year that many experts feel the league will be vastly improved . 

Indeed, a rebuilding year would be perfectly understandable for Johnson's crew that includes only two seniors, one of which has already been sidelined for at least six weeks as guard Alex Farer—a projected starter—sustained a kneecap injury in a preseason scrimmage.

The other senior may be the key to another surprising season.  Tasmin Mitchell the 6'7" small forward averaged over 16 points and seven rebounds last year and has been named to the Naismith Award Watch List.  He was also a unanimous pick for the Coaches Pre-Season All SEC First Team.

Mitchell decided to forego the NBA draft to return for his senior season.  With Tasmin almost certainly being a key feature of the offense it could be a special year.

Power forward Storm Warren could take a lot of pressure off of Mitchell if he is able to play to his potential, which at times last year made him unstoppable.  Yet he remained inconsistent and made costly mistakes in critical situations down the stretch.

Point guards Bo Spencer and Chris Bass will both see a lot of playing time though Spencer will clearly be the starter and could be one of the most underrated players in the SEC.

Sophomore center Garrett Green, who wore a red shirt last year due to back injuries, will need to be healthy and improve his production from his freshmen year in 2007 - 2008 (1.8 ppg, 1.6 rpg, .02 blks).

Depth will by far be the biggest issue; until Farer returns coach Johnson will only dress eight scholarship players with four walk-ons.  Additional injuries could decimate this team.

Johnson's teams are known to be well conditioned and play with strong fundamentals and solid defense, if that is the case the Tigers could stay in a lot of games and have chances late to steal wins from deeper teams.

It is not unreasonable to think that this might be a tough year for the Bayou Bengals. 

On the other hand, Johnson has done more with less in the past by taking undermanned Nevada to the Sweet 16 and guiding Pac 10 middle-weight Standford to four straight post seasons, including a Sweet 16 appearance two years ago.

Tiger fans are being cautiously optimistic, even as Coach Johnson—In an effort to build excitement for this year's team—joined the Athletic Department in purchasing 500 tickets to offer freely for this Friday's opener versus UL-Monroe at the Maravich Assembly Center.

My advice to Tiger Nation; get behind this team, take the free ticket and geaux (go) buy the Ray-Bans, the future starts now!

 

By Henry Ball (a.k.a. Southern Man) Featured Columnist and Syndicated Writer

Henry contributes to the Bleacher Report , College Gameday Network  and other sports media outlets.

For a good laugh, read this !

{Note: I have been asked to cover the LSU Basketball team as a Featured Columnist.  I invite all you Tiger Fans and anyone just wanting to keep up with some good basketball to join me in the LSU BB Community for a great season - Thanks!}

* Photo from lsusports.net

Trent Johnson inherited a quite favorable situation last year in his first year as head coach of the LSU Tigers.

The Tigers had a Final Four appearance still rather close-by in their rear-view mirrors and returned an excellent amount of depth and talent. Granted, from a team that massively underachieved the year before.

LSU had all the pieces to surprise some teams in the West entering November 2008.

The rest, however, was coaching.

Johnson quickly seized his opportunity and LSU tore through their schedule (other than a massive 30-point blowout loss at Utah) and seemed poised to lose just a single game in-conference heading into March.

And then, rather inexplicably, LSU fell apart. The Tigers lost four of their last six games, and flamed out of an outstanding season which carried heavy post-season expectations.

Ironically, Johnson and his squad find themselves in a similar position this preseason.

LSU loses around 15 percent more production than any other SEC squad, including SEC Player of the Year Marcus Thornton, who ranked second in the league at 21.1 points per outing and second amongst league guards in field-goal percentage.

Also gone is the league's second-best defensive big-man in Chris Johnson, one of the better ball-handlers in Garrett Temple, and talented all-around contributors in Terry Martin, Quintin Thornton and Delwan Graham.

With more to replace than any other team in the league, LSU's recruiting class leaves a lot to be desired.

Aaron Dotson
(#27 SG - 3 stars - 6'4" - 194lbs)

Dotson has lots of potential and great size for his position. His shooting has nice form, but the range needs to increase a bit. Considering the utter lack of depth, Dotson has a good chance of starting, and will see heavy minutes regardless.

Eddie Ludwig
(#39 SF - 3 stars - 6'7" - 195lbs)

Ludwig is an all-around player, but needs to work on his speed and man-to-man evasiveness to maximize his impact at the collegiate level.

So, by my calculations, LSU is left with seven available scholarship players heading into 2009-10. Looks like Arkansas isn't the only SEC team that needs to hold open tryouts.

Here's a look at what remains on the LSU roster.

Tasmin Mitchell  - 6'7", 245lb Senior PF
(16.3ppg - 7.2rpg - 52.2% FG - 55 stl)

Mitchell will undoubtedly step into the position of big-time scorer that Thornton vacated for the Tigers, and could be a darkhorse for the league's Player of the Year.

Mitchell is one of the league's most efficient rebounders, scorers and on-ball defenders, and will be relied upon very heavily this season. Will start.

Bo Spencer  - 6'2", 186lb Junior SG
(11.4ppg - 2.9rpg - 40.3% 3PT - 1.38 A/TO)

Spencer is one the SEC's most unheralded shooters and overall players. He is outstandingly potent from behind the arc as well as the charity stripe and handles the ball with care.

Spencer is marketedly unselfish, though his defense is severely lacking. He also is not particularly adept at shooting under pressure. Should start.

Storm Warren  - 6'7", 230lb Sophomore PF
(2.0ppg - 1.8rpg - 15 blk - 42.9% FG)

Warren is more talented than his numbers show, though he's very rough around the edges on on-ball defense and ball-handling.

If he can figure out the game and learn some decision-making, he could play a valuable role for the Tigers.

Alex Farrer  - 6'5", 200lb Senior SG
(1.7ppg - 0.8rpg - 72.2% FT - 1.06 A/TO)

Farrer isn't a standard bench-warmer, as he can provide some valuable minutes without being a liability. His ball-handling and decent mark from the charity stripe alone warrants him playing time.

Although there's simply no denying Johnson's coaching talents, 2009-10 should be a long season without some miracles.

Schedule Breakdown

Cupcakes : UL-Monroe (H), Indiana St. (H), UL-Lafayette (H), Northwestern St. (H), Southeastern Louisiana (H), Nicholls St. (H), Rice (H), McNeese St. (H)

Real Games : Utah (H)

Marquee Matchups : Washington St. (A), Xavier (A)

Opposite Division : South Carolina (A), Florida (A), Tennessee (H), Kentucky (H), Vanderbilt (A), Georgia (H)

Predicted Result : (13-14, 4-12), No Postseason

Analysis : This is an appropriate schedule for a team that should struggle. Some chances at big upsets and plenty of cupcakes.

What's Returning

Points : 41.61 percent (12th—SEC Avg: 73.81 percent)

Rebounds : 36.17 percent (12th—SEC Avg: 75.80 percent)

One of many positives of a talented coach is that the possibility of a surprisingly positive season is always present. Johnson won't have much depth to work with this season, but stranger things have happened.

• These awards are meant to effectively and accurately pick the best (and worst) performers in each category. Thus, a line was drawn roughly around the area of 15 games played and/or 40 minutes – 1 full game – played as a minimum. This was done to limit the effect of outliers bringing to our attention surprising walk-ons that could be, according to the stats, future superstars.
• Obviously, these awards are not all-encompassing. Players that transferred or any other players that didn’t play for any reason last season are not included.
• Be sure to understand that each of these categories, alone, are misleading. For example, if a player won Least Minutes/Assist but also finished last in Least Minutes/Turnover, it is not as impressive. Combining these rankings and statistics will give a more clear and well-rounded picture, but these rankings are fun nonetheless.

The winner is…

DEVAN DOWNEY – Senior, South Carolina – 1.93 – Last Year: 2.32
Downey and Thornton finished 1 and 2 for the second-straight year, while Downey jumped a spot this year to claim first place. Downey is a dynamic pint-sized (5′9″) point guard who has blazing speed and the moves to drive to the basket while the lumbering bodies of those around him stumble  over themselves trying to stop the layup. Downey will be a favorite for SEC Player of the Year in 2009-10.

The others…

2. Marcus Thornton – Graduated, LSU – 2.06 – Last Year: 2.15
Thornton increased his already extreme output from a year ago, but was just surpassed by Downey. Thornton is quick and dynamic, but more of a pure shooter than Downey as he was one of the most dangerous outside threats in the conference. Thornton was everything for LSU a year ago, and he carried the load again this year despite a bit more help around him on and off the sidelines.

3. Jodie Meeks – NBA Draft, Kentucky – 2.18 – Last Year: 2.90
Meeks was the SEC’s superstar last year, taking his name from outsie any All-SEC lists to the NBA draft. He’s always liked to shoot, but he bursted onto the scene this season in a big way, leading the conference in scoring at 23.7 points per game. Meeks was Kentucky’s only true shooting threat, and thus the offense ran through him and big-man Patrick Patterson.

4. Chris Warren – Junior, Ole Miss – 2.21 – Last Year: 2.42
Warren is a potential superstar who had a phenomenal freshman year before suffering an injury 11 games into the 2008-09 season. If he can return to form, he’ll be one of the league’s scorers and one of the nation’s best ball-handlers. Warren is an excellent all-around player, as his percentages and efficiency numbers are through the roof. Warren will vie for SEC Player of the Year honors by his senior season if he can return to 100 percent.

5. Travis Leslie – Sophomore, Georgia – 2.33 – Last Year: N.A.
Leslie, while admirably brave for a freshman, was a bit of a ball-hog last season. His numbers can’t be overlooked, as he was pretty efficient at bringing home the points as well, but his 0.59 assist-to-turnover ratio and 57.5 percent mark from the charity stripe will have to improve for him to truly have a significant impact for the Bulldogs.

6. Trey Thompkins – Sophomore, Georgia – 2.36 – Last Year: N.A.
Thompkins was easily the most underrated freshman in the league last year, as he shot nearly 40 percent from three – and this is a 6′9″, 247 pound big-man. Thompkins is one of the most versatile players in the conference, and he will once again be relied upon heavily by a talent-starved Georgia team.

7. David Huertas – Overseas, Ole Miss – 2.39 – Last Year: 2.72
While Ole Miss fans will likely brush this loss off, losing Huertas to professional play overseas was a massive blow to the Rebels’ chances at a breakout season in 2009-10. Huertas led the team in scoring and was one of the team’s most prolific rebounders and ball-handlers. Huertas needed tp step up after three starters fell to season-ending injuries, and he did so with flair.

8. Zam Fredrick – Graduated, South Carolina – 2.39 – Last Year: 2.58
Fredrick was an under-the-radar type who was a reliable shooting presence to take some defensive heat off of Downey. Fredrick was Downey’s favorite target outside the arc, and he brought treys down at nearly a 38 percent clip.

9. Senario Hillman – Junior, Alabama – 2.40 – Last Year: 3.40
Hillman is a pure slasher, and not much else. He attempted over 100 threes a season ago and barely made over 27 percent of them, while he had a tendency to turn the ball over as well. Hillman was one of the Tide’s few options last year, but more of the offense should have been flowing through Gee and Green.

10. Wayne Chism – Senior, Tennessee – 2.47 – Last Year: 2.79
If a man named Tyler Smith didn’t play for the Vols, Chism would be a superstar. Chism is without a doubt better at his position than Smith, although not as versatile. Chism is one of the league’s best inside-men both offensively and defensively, and his efficiency numbers are outstanding. While he won’t get the publicity, Chism is the scariest player on Tennessee’s roster.

The opposite end of the spectrum…

1. Robert Wilder – Senior, South Carolina – 35.75 – Last Year: 4.67

2. Chris Bass – Sophomore, LSU – 10.62 – Last Year: N.A.

3. Kevin Cantinol – Sophomore, Ole Miss – 8.70 – Last Year: N.A.

4. Demetrius Jemison – Senior, Alabama – 7.42 – Last Year: 4.57

5. Quintin Thornton – Graduated, LSU – 7.37 – Last Year: 16.77

6. Steven Pearl – Junior, Tennessee – 7.30 – Last Year: 4.73

7. Branden Conrad – Graduated, South Carolina – 7.13 – Last Year: 15.33

8. Josh Tabb – Senior, Tennessee – 6.66 – Last Year: 7.91

 9. Marcus Britt – Junior, Arkansas – 6.66 – Last Year: 6.74

10. Darshawn McClellan – Junior, Vandebrilt – 6.62 – Last Year: 6.22

Please leave comments!!

Game One: (1) North Carolina v (17) NC State

Before game time North Carolina State Coach Jim Valvano ran the tape of the 1983 championship. Not only did he want to get his squad properly motivated to play the top-seeded Tar Heels but he wanted to drive his game plan home. Once again, Valvano wanted to play the game in the fifties.

That would be fine with North Carolina Coach Dean Smith.

In the first half the Wolfpack plan kept them in the game. Center Tom Burleson led the way with eight points as Nate McMillan and Spud Webb worked the ball inside.

David Thompson wasn’t much of a factor thanks to two early fouls while trying to cover Michael Jordan but backup Vinny Del Nero proved to be a better fit in the slowdown game and added six points off the bench as the ‘Pack ended the half only down 30-26.

However, the second half saw NC State go cold. Burleson and Thurl Bailey missed easy shots inside and Thompson picked up two cheap fouls by 11:37 in the game.

This time, Smith instructed his charges to press the pace. Jordan, James Worthy and backup forward Antawn Jamison repeatedly ran like hungry gazelles past the stunned Wolfpack defense. Each of them would finish in double figures, with Jordan leading the way with 21 points.

Thompson tried to lead a comeback but it was too little, too late. North Carolina became the first team to hit the Elite Eight.

Final Score: North Carolina 76, NC State 62

Game Two: (8) Notre Dame v (9) Ohio State

After watching countless film of Notre Dame scoring sensation Austin Carr Ohio State coach Fred Taylor didn’t say much during the practice session, figuring out how to explain the news to his guards. He would switching things up in the starting lineup.

When the Buckeyes took the floor in their second-round matchup, Dennis Hopson went to the bench and Clark Kellogg saw the initial action. Jim Jackson would have the unenviable task of guarding Carr.

Jackson did fairly well in the first half, holding Carr to four of twelve shooting even though all of Carr’s baskets were from behind the arc. Fortunately for the Buckeyes, Jerry Lucas and Kellogg did a terrific job of keeping the Irish off the boards.

Lucas was rewarded with several passes from Kelvin Ransey and ended the first half with twelve points to go with his six rebounds.

In the second half, Carr got a little hotter by hitting his first three baskets. This time, Taylor sent Jackson to the pine for a breather and bought in little-used Tony Campbell in hopes that his height might bother Carr. It didn’t. Carr had 28 points by the time Jackson got back in with five minutes left and Notre Dame had a five-point lead.

At that point, John Havlicek took over for Ohio State. The new offense was simple. Havlicek bought the ball down to half court and passed it to Ransey or Scoonie Penn, who would work it around until Havlicek could get open then “Hondo” would receive it and drive for a score or hit a jump shot.

Kelly Tripucka, John Shumate and Laphonso Ellis all took turns trying to stop him and couldn’t. Carr would outscore Havlicek 32 to 24 but the score that mattered showed that the Buckeyes came out on top.

Final Score: Ohio State 84, Notre Dame 79

Game Three: (4) LSU v (20) Kentucky

Fans of the game will remember the last time these two SEC rivals faced off in the NCAA Tournament as the 11-seed Tigers knocked off the 1-seed Wildcats with Ricky Blanton running down the court in spastic celebration following his game-winner. Kentucky fans were hoping for a similar scenario in New Orleans.

UK Coach Adolph Rupp briefly thought about switching forward Tayshaun Prince with Melvin Turpin to create a Twin Towers lineup but wisely thought Prince’s defense would be sorely needed. Indeed, Prince nullified the scoring threat of Marcus Thornton but Chris Jackson was enjoying a clear advantage over Kyle Macy.

Frustrated, the Baron went to Ralph Beard in an effort to slow Jackson down. Jackson ended up with 17 first half points and the Bayou Bengals led by eight at the half.

The second half was more of the same. While Turpin and starting center Sam Bowie held counterpart Shaquille O’Neal relatively in check and Pete Maravich having a rare off-night thanks to a defensive switch which had Prince guarding him through most of the second half Jackson continued to light things up.

When it was over he would have a tourney record 41 points and the Tigers would be headed to the Elite Eight.

Final Score: LSU 81, Kentucky 72

Game Four: (5) Arizona v (12) Duke

Mike Krzyzewski was disappointed with J.J. Redick’s performance against Syracuse and figured he might have trouble against Arizona. So he started Johnny Dawkins and Jason Williams together, sacrificing a bit of offense for extra ball-handling.

While that might have helped the big advantage for the Devils early on proved to be Carlos Boozer. He snagged many offensive rebounds and easily scored against his counterpart Bob Elliott in the first half.

With his Wildcats facing a six-point halftime deficit, Olson benched Elliott and brought in Brian Williams to play center. This proved to be more effective as Williams’ energy allowed him to hold his own against Boozer.

Jason Terry continued his offensive explosiveness that he displayed against Syracuse in the first round as he made his case for best sixth man in an NCAA tournament. He would finish with 14 points, second to Sean Elliott’s 20. Boozer would lead the way for Duke with 23 points and 12 rebounds but it wasn’t quite enough.

Final Score: Arizona 88, Duke 80

Tomorrow, the second round concludes.

North Carolina will get its first test of the Tournament and it could come without ACC Player of the Year Ty Lawson. The junior point guard will be a game time decision according to UNC coach Roy Williams for the second round tussle with the SEC regular season champs LSU.

Season Records:
UNC 29-4, LSU 27-7

Conference:
UNC 13-3, LSU 13-3

vs RPI Top 50:
UNC 5-2, LSU 2-3

Keys to the Game

1. Lawson's Health

The Tar Heels offense with Lawson runs like a Porsche. Without him it runs more like your standard sedan—solid, but not at the highest level of performance. If Lawson can't go, then senior Bobby Frasor will step in. Frasor is an adequate point guard, but if he doesn't have the speed to run UNC's offense like Lawson. The Tar Heels depend on that speed to get easy buckets.

2. Rebounding

Both of these teams are used to controlling the boards and getting their share of offensive rebounds. UNC gets about 15 a game while LSU snags 13.5 off their own missed shots. UNC was out rebounded by FSU in their last loss.

3. Shooting

Poor shooting doomed LSU in their last three losses hitting less than 37 percent in each game. In Carolina's four losses they have not hit more than 39 percent of their shots from the floor. Many think since UNC allows a lot of points that other teams shoot the ball well, but the Tar Heels are holding opponents to 41 percent.

Prediction

This game will come down to Lawson's effectiveness, if he even plays. If he does and is effective I think North Carolina puts LSU away in the final five minutes. If he does not play then LSU has the athleticism and size to give North Carolina fits for 40 minutes. The thought that UNC could win even if he does not play puts UNC over the hump in my book.

Pick: North Carolina Wins By 5-11 points

Season: 40-29 SU through 3/20

Roy Williams is rarely accused of being anything but a class act (excepting the occasional criticism that emanates from Durham), and his post-game press conference was no exception on Thursday. After the Tar Heels crushed the Radford Highlanders, 101-58, Williams spoke with unusual candor on several subjects.

First were the usual congratulations to Radford head coach Brad Greenberg (brother to Virginia Tech's Seth Greenberg). Williams actually revealed much of what he said to Brad after the game.

After explaining how much he "really liked the guy," and how happy he was to see Radford succeed, Williams continued: "He’s a coach’s coach. He’s very genuine."

"I congratulated him on what they’d accomplished, and told him, I don’t mind saying this, I said, 'Brad, we played really well.' And I said that in the way I intended it to be taken was that we really played well, that’s the only way we were able to do this. We didn’t beat you with our C-game. We played very well."

Williams was his usual self in recounting how he needed to remind Wayne Ellington which color jerseys North Carolina was wearing after Ellington committed three early turnovers. 

After Ellington spoke of finding his groove in the first half against Radford, Williams countered, "Especially after he realized we were wearing one shirt and the other team was wearing another color. Three turnovers in the first five minutes throwing it to the other team. So during one of the timeouts we reminded him we were the team wearing the white jersey.”

Finally came a somewhat unusual statement at the very end of the press conference. Williams actually revealed for whom he cast his vote in the National Coach of the Year balloting, and it was none other than his next opponent, LSU's Trent Johnson.

Said Williams, "I know Trent Johnson. I consider him one of the class acts in college basketball. I’m not so sure that anybody did a better job in college basketball than Trent did this year."

"If I knew he’d buy me dinner I’d tell him the truth, and that’s the fact that I voted for him as "National Coach of the Year.” But I don’t think I can swing that anyway. But I do think he did a great, great job. The team is an extension of him."

Roy Williams is nominated himself, but most experts think the leading candidates are Johnson, Kansas' Bill Self, and Illinois' Bruce Weber. There are certainly other names mentioned, but these seem to be the three talked about most often.

Of course, Williams has always been the type of coach to speak as kindly as possible of his upcoming opponent, but he obviously was not blowing smoke up the hindquarters of Mr. Johnson when he made the statement.

LSU's coach has done a phenomenal job with a team picked to finish at the very bottom of the SEC West. Johnson has certainly been instrumental in turning Marcus Thornton into the probable SEC Player of the Year.

So, while these teams will be "enemies" of sorts on the basketball court on Saturday, expect the cordial relations to continue between Williams and Johnson, regardless of the result.

This is just another reason Roy is so beloved in Chapel Hill, as he was in Lawrence, KS. He is a class act and North Carolina is proud to have him.

And, by the way, he made the right call with his vote.

LSU opened the game on a 9-0 run and ended the game making free throws, and LSU senior guard Marcus Thornton put on a show in the middle. Thornton scored 30 points on 10-of-15 shooting to lead LSU to a 75-71 win over Butler in the opening round of the NCAA Tourney.

It wasn't easy, as Butler fought back to take a lead midway through the second half. LSU and Thornton would not be denied, however.

Chris Johnson, a senior, turned to Thornton and said, "I don't want this to be my last game."

"As a fellow senior, I know how he felt," Thornton said. "I just put it in my head to dive for loose balls, do everything I could to make sure we came through the victors." 

"Obviously we played well in spurts," LSU head coach Trent Johnson said. "We got off to a great start and then hit a wall where shots didn't go down for us. We found a way to win a game and found a way to make some plays down the stretch."

LSU shot 49 percent from the field, 43 percent on 6-of-14 shooting from the three-point line, and made 15-of-21 free throws. Additionally, LSU forced 15 turnovers and blocked eight shots. 

One blocked shot by senior center Chris Johnson was key, according to junior forward Tasmin Mitchell. "Coach always emphasized defense. He said defense wins championships, offense wins games. This is a championship season. And this whole tournament, the defense is going to come out key in every game. So that (Johnson's blocked shot) was a big play. Chris made it and the defense did come into play."

Next up for the eighth-seeded Tigers are the UNC Tar Heels, the No. 1 seed in the South region. LSU is certain to be the underdog.

"I like being the underdog," Thornton said. "A lot of people don't know about us. Why not show it on the big stage?"  

UNC will provide a tough matchup for LSU, but UNC may have a difficult time finding someone to check Thornton and Tasmin Mitchell. Thornton is the SEC player of the year and can score from anywhere on the floor. Mitchell is an experienced player with good size who can post up down low and take his man out to the three-point line and hit shots.

Look for a close, hard-fought, physical game, and for LSU somehow, some way to find a way to make enough plays to get the win.