Continuing the quest for sweetness.
No.3 Georgetown (24-8) vs. No.11 NC STATE (23-12)
The Wolfpack is 0-1 all-time versus Georgetown in the NCAA Tournament. The Hoyas captured the only Big Dance meeting between the two schools with a 69-61 victory in 1989 East Region Semifinal in East Rutherford, N.J. NC State has one connection to the current Georgetown coaching staff, in assistant Hoyas coach Kenya Hunter. Hunter had a pair of stints at NC State before moving onto Xavier, and now is in his fifth season at Georgetown. Hunter served as the director of operations under former NC State coach Herb Sendek from 2002-04. He also earned a master’s degree from NC State in 1998, and during that time served as a student manager for the Pack from 1996-98.
North Carolina State Game Notes
Georgetown NCAA Tournament Center
No.9 Saint Louis (26-7) vs. No.1 Michigan State (28-7)
Saint Louis and Michigan have met just once on the hardwood, a 74-64 SLU victory in the NIT in 1988. SLU head coach Rick Majerus has faced Michigan State twice in his career, both coming in NCAA Tournament play. He beat Jud Heathcote’s Spartans 85-84 in the 1991 NCAA Tournament in Tucson. In the only Majerus-Izzo battle, Michigan State prevailed 73-61 in 2000.
The Spartans advanced with an 89-67 victory over LIU Brooklyn. They’ll face a familiarfoe in head coach Rick Majerus and the Saint Louis Billikens, who beat Memphis on Friday. Majerus faced the Spartans in the second round of the 2000 NCAA Tournament as the coach of Utah. The winner will move on to the Sweet 16 in Phoenix.
#19 Creighton Bluejays (29-5) vs. #4 North Carolina Tar Heels (30-5)
Carolina leads the all-time series with Creighton, 2-0. Sunday’s game will be the first meeting between the schools in men’s basketball since a 106-86 UNC win over Creighton on Dec. 12, 1970, in Charlotte. In the only other meeting, the Tar Heels won 72-64 at Creighton on Dec. 19, 1960, under head coach Frank McGuire. Roy Williams has never faced Creighton as a head coach prior to Sunday. UNC sophomore forward Harrison Barnes was a high school teammate of Creighton sophomore forward Doug McDermott at Ames High School in Ames, Iowa.
The winner of Sunday’s game will advance to a Midwest Regional semifinal game next Friday in St. Louis against the winner of the game between No. 12 seed South Florida and No. 13 seed Ohio.
Carolina has played its last three games without two-time ACC Defender of the Year and first-team All-ACC forward John Henson, who missed the ACC semifinal and final and Friday’s NCAA game vs. Vermont due to a sprained left wrist (suffered in the ACC Tournament quarterfinal vs. Maryland). Henson’s status for Sunday’s game is questionable.
No. 10 Xavier Univ. Musketeers (22-12) vs. No. 15 Lehigh Univ. Mountain Hawks (27-7)
Xavier leads the series 1-0, winning the only meeting 69-63 in the 2004-05 season at Cintas Center (12-21-04).
Xavier, 22-12 overall, is coming off a thrilling 67-63 come-from-behind win over Notre Dame on Friday in the NCAA Tournament Second Round. Senior Tu Holloway led Xavier with 25 points, including 17 in the second half. Freshman Dezmine Wells had 14 points and 11 rebounds. XU trailed by 10 points, 48-38, with under 12 minutes left in the game.
(10) Purdue Boilermakers (22-12, 10-8 Big Ten) vs. (2) Kansas Jayhawks (28-6, 16-2 Big 12)
No. 2 seed Kansas (28-6, 16-2) advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional with a 65-50 win against No. 15 seed Detroit on Friday. KU, which has won 10 of its last 11 games, will take on No. 10 seed Purdue (22-12, 10-8) from the Big Ten Conference on Sunday, March 17, at approximately 7:40 p.m. (Central) at the CenturyLink Center Omaha in Omaha, Neb. The game will be televised on TNT.
Kansas and Purdue are meeting for the fifth time and the third time in the NCAA Tournament. The series, which started in 1948, is tied at 2-2. Kansas won the last meeting, 75-61, in the NCAA Southeast Sub-Regional second round in Memphis on March 15, 1997. Purdue won the previous matchup on March 24, 1994, in the NCAA Southeast Regional Sweet 16 in Knoxville, Tenn. Purdue also won the first meeting 47-46 on Dec. 13, 1948, in West Lafayette, Ind., while Kansas won the next year, 60-52, on Dec. 10, 1949, in Lawrence.
No. 12 USF (22-13) vs. No. 13 Ohio (28-7)
The Bobcats are fourth in the nation in steals per contest (9.4), fifth in the nation in turnover margin (+4.4)and rank 13th nationally in guarding the perimeter (29.6%). Ohio is also excelling in turning its opponents over, ranking No. 1 in the nation in turnover percentage according to KenPom’s national standings (27.4%).
Stan Heath’s squad, assigned the 12th seed, enters more new territory in Sunday’s third round against No. 13 seed Ohio back at Bridgestone Arena. Win this one and USF will soon be getting another grand sendoff in Tampa before a Sweet 16 date in St. Louis.
That type of philosophy helped USF go from the Big East basement to national prominence this season. The Bulls (22-13) have set program records for total wins, Big East regular season victories (12), have the school’s only two NCAA tournament wins and a laundry list of other accomplishments.
Dee Davis – Welcome to the occupation.
Wow! Kendall Marshall-broken wrist?
The worst thing about the fouls on Lyons is that they are sooooo out of control.
Lehigh has hit 12-of-18 right now. And it’s not fool’s gold because they are getting production in the paint.
Just read that on Marshall. Worst possible injury for them right now. Not diminishing the role of anyone else, but Marshall makes that machine fire.
Xavier must have finished that half on a heck of a run…? You watching that one Smitty?
Ohio is on a 10-0 run right now.
Yep..
Xavier started actually hitting some shots towards the end of the half. They got McCollum in foul trouble and he had to sit. Holloway responded by hitting a couple of 3s.
Kenny Frease is playing like a man tonight!! 8 for 8 from the field.
Xavier actually leads now.
Interesting Xavier started the second half with a three guard set – Holloway, Lyons and Davis. No Dez Wells to start the half and I think he might be done.
A Mid-American Conference team in the Sweet 16.
Wells’s eye swelled up.
Nice.. Way to go Ohio!!
Pretty cool listening to Clark Kellogg’s reaction. He tried staying as impartial for as long as he could. Have to appreciate the excitement.
Should be Temple. Didn’t Ohio have a big first round upset last year? Kudos to that coach if it is the same guy.
Is it any surprise that Holloway is taking over in the second half. Say what you will about his character, but his ability to allow the game to come to him and then take over – is impressive.
Ohio upset Georgetown, 97-83 in 2010. John Groce was the head coach for that game and is still at the helm for the Bobcats.
Two years ago. I knew it was recent.
Interesting that Lehigh has outscored Xavier on second chance points. Especially considering how slowly the Musketeers started.
Is it obvious that the refs dislike Mark Lyons?
I can’t believe my eyes!!
Mark Lyons took another out of control foul.. This neeeeveeer happens.
Or should I say, is it obvious that the refs have caught on to Lyons?
Pretty frustrating watching Robinson.
Xavier came into Tourney 1 of the best in 3pt FG defense.They are locking down Lehigh (2 for 15).
Hahaha
Thank you! I thought I was the only one that was thinking he can’t finish around the rim. Plus, he is stone hands. Holloway hit him in the hands on a pick and roll. He funbled it out of bounds.
Frease is playing like he wants to play next weekend!!
Not only are the Musketeers slowing Lahigh from behind the arc, but they are making them jump shooters.
Lehigh really looks like they are running out of gas. They are missing shots that they didn’t miss in the first half of this game or against Duke.
What a horrible possession for Lehigh right there. Is it just me, or have point guards become more and more like ball-hogging shooters? It just seems like every game there are late possessions where the PG jacks a shot from 2 feet behind the line with absolutely no passes. What in the world? I blame Jonny Flynn.
Oh wow! I almost forgot. Dante Jackson is an assistant on the Ohio staff.
“What in the world? I blame Jonny Flynn.”
Hahahaha – Helmet Sticker!
Honestly – can’t we trace this trend to him? Before Flynn, the college ranks had guys like Chris Paul, Deron Williams, etc. Then Flynn comes along and suddenly the PG is a scorer first? Come on!
Wow – never realized just how big Xavier’s front court really is.
49 seconds left down 4. When do you foul in this possession?
Apparently right away if you’re Lehigh
Very cool moment to see Lehigh soaking in the moment one last time in front of their fans on the court.
“Honestly – can’t we trace this trend to him? Before Flynn, the college ranks had guys like Chris Paul, Deron Williams, etc. Then Flynn comes along and suddenly the PG is a scorer first? Come on!”
And how is Flynn doing now?
Obviously, I am happy to see X advance. Sad that it had to come at the expense of Lehigh.
In case you were wondering (from Jameson Fleming): “Lehigh loses John Adams, Justin Maneri, and Jordan Hamilton. McCollum, McKnight, Greiner, Knutson, Bailey return.”