Onions! Everything is happening and breaking
It’s the heart of conference tourney season, y’all.
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Of course, just as I’m trying to get hyped about college basketball, all the outlets in my house stopped working (important for internet), so I had to relocate to a coffee shop that let me bring my dog. Well, a bar that serves coffee. What I’m trying to say is: it’s 10:30 a.m. and I’m at a bar with my dog. What I do for you.
Let’s get caught up on stuff!
Whahahappen was
Ivy League
Harvard going dancing! The first guys at the dance! They just have to stand around awkwardly and think “oh man the invite was for 10:30 and it’s 10:15 how come nobody’s here is everybody just trying to play a trick on me ugh this is just like that time I got left at the bowling alley when I was eight.” Once again, if only somebody had written an awesome longform about Harvard Crimson basketball lately.
Must Reads
I know it's not unique or interesting to say "hey, Harvard's got a really good basketball team," but, dude, Harvard has got a really, really good basketball team. Think about it this way: last year's season was supposedly doomed before it started by the suspension of senior leaders Brandyn Curry and Kyle Casey, guys who helped the team get its first share of the Ivy League in decades. Instead, they won the Ivy League outright and upset the New Mexico Lobos. Now, they have those two guys back... and they aren't huge factors. Casey, the leading scorer in 2011-12, is now the fourth-leading scorer. Curry, the star point guard in 2011-12, is now third on the team in assists and comes off the bench behind Siyani Chambers.
Harvard has been good, by Harvard standards, and they’ve gotten oodles better in a short period of time. They should be a single-digit seed, and they won’t be.
OVC
Despite having a double-bye, the Murray St. Racers couldn't make their way to the tourney final: they got dropped 86-83 by the Eastern Kentucky Colonels in the semis thanks to 24 points from Corey Walden. The Belmont Bruins did just fine in theirs, and now Chad Posthumus of the Morehead St. Eagles is dead again.
MVC
This might surprise you, but the Wichita St. Shockers won.
The one non-chalk occurrence was the No. 6 Southern Illinois Salukis beating the No. 3 Northern Iowa Panthers. Remember how I told you yesterday to watch Desmar Jackson? Kid had 23 points, 11 boards, and six steals for the Salukis. Run, you ugly Egyptian dogs, run! Size doesn't matter!
Horizon
The Wright St. Raiders beat the Oakland Golden Grizzlies -- sorry, Travis Bader, but that's all the threes you'll get, unless you go to the CBI or something -- and the Wis.-Milwaukee Panthers beat the Valparaiso Crusaders -- sorry, Bryce Drew.
Big South
The two GAMES OF THE DAY were both in the Big South. It looked like Adam Weary had given the top-seeded High Point Panthers the W with a running jumper in the lane, but the Winthrop Eagles came back the other way, looked awkward while fiddling around 30 feet from the basket, and then Andre Smith threw up a 30-footer that found bottom:
For the Winthrop! Since High Point was a top seed, they're headed to the NIT.
The other GAME OF THE DAY was the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers. The Chanticleers were pushed into double-OT by the Buccaneers, but put up the first seven in the second overtime to get the W. This is where Coastal Carolina thanks the HoopGods that they get to play a conference tourney at home, and this is where we thank the HoopGods that we get to keep saying "Chanticleers." Remember, the first A is long: CHAAAAAAAAHN-ti-cleers.
The VMI Keydets put up 90 in their game against the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs, because that's what VMI does. The UNC-Asheville Bulldogs beat Radford, ending the Highlanders' run, so it turns out there can be more than one. A shoutout to UNC-Asheville's DJ Cunningham, who had 18 points and 19 boards while taking just ten shots and with Radford only missing 33 shots in the game. MOST EFFICIENT DJ EVER.
SoCon
Let us take a moment to praise The Citadel Bulldogs! After winning one of their first 26 games against Division I opponents, they have now reeled off three in a row, drilling 10 of 19 threes against UNC-Greensboro. I fully expect them to win the national championship.
Elsewhere, chalk.
Fun things about the SoCon! They claim to be the oldest tournament in college hoops, which is true, albeit its not really the same conference:
Love that SoCon bills itself as "The Oldest Conference Tournament." Membership is a bit different now than in 1932. pic.twitter.com/j1MFnfV9Vg
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger_sherman) March 7, 2014 And they have a BLUEGRASS HALFTIME BAND
BLUEGRASS BAND HALFTIME SHOW ALERT pic.twitter.com/umtnm4lWut
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger_sherman) March 7, 2014 CAA
To those expecting 1,000 words about the Hofstra Pride win over the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks in the 8-9 game here: sorry. So sorry.
Onions! consumption guide
We have one tourney ending today and five -- five! -- at the semifinal stage. Should be AWESOME. There are too many games for us to do all of them, so let’s just hit those six leagues.
Ohio Valley Tournament (On ESPN2)
IT’S TIME FOR OUR FIRST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT FINAL!!!!!!1!!!1111
No. 1 Belmont takes on No. 3 Eastern Kentucky at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. For a very good preview, head over to Mid-Major Madness.
If we’re being objective sports analysts, we should want Belmont to win. They’re far and away the best team in the league -- 103 on Kenpom, EKU is second at 141. They have the best player in the league in JJ Mann, who doesn’t have an ounce of conscience, hoisting six threes a game and hitting 40 percent of them. (The 6’6 guard hit up EKU for a season-high 34 earlier in the year.)
But the fan in search of justice is kinda pulling for EKU. Belmont has been to four straight tournaments, including last year, their first in the OVC. And everything about this tournament is set up for Belmont: it’s held in Nashville, so it’s basically a home site for the Bruins, and as the No. 1 seed, they got a bye into the semifinals, so they got to sit back and wait while the Colonels had to work.
Come on, EKU -- score one for randomness. The Colonels did beat Belmont in the game where JJ Mann didn’t have 34 points, so it is possible.
MVC Tournament (on ESPN3)
The CAN ANYBODY BEAT THESE DUDES semifinals.
No. 1 Wichita St. Shockers vs. No. 4 Missouri St. Bears, 2:30 p.m.
Somebody tries to beat Wichita State! Again!
No. 2 Indiana St. Sycamores vs. No. 6 Southern Illinois Salukis, 5 p.m.: We're kinda pulling for the Salukis. It's not like anybody's gonna beat the Shockers, anyway.
We’ve reached the semifinals, so the actual teams are starting to show up here.
No. 2 Cleveland St. Vikings vs. No. 3 Wright St. Raiders, 7 p.m.:Cleveland State's a squad -- their 40.3 percent shooting percentage from deep is third in the nation -- but the games between these teams were a four-point Cleveland State win and a three-point Wright State win. Expect tightness.
No. 1 Green Bay Phoenix vs. No. 5 Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers, 9:30 p.m.: GET TO KNOW GREEN BAY, GUYS. 7'1 Alec Brown is going to block the hell out of XXXX INSERT NAME OF PLAYER YOU'VE HEARD OF in the NCAA Tournament, if all goes as planned.
Must Reads
Patriot League Semifinals (games on CBSSN)
No. 1 Boston University Terriers vs. No. 4 Army Black Knights, 3:30 p.m.: We're Never-Made-The-Tourney club supporters, but our brother went to Boston University and also Boston University was the best team in this league all year, so. No. 3 Holy Cross Crusaders vs. No. 2 American Eagles: This is the Patriot League. You're going to root for Crusaders? I don't think so. This whole tourney has been headed towards American-BU, so that better happen.
Northeast Conference Semifinals (games on the NEC’s website )
No. 2 Wagner Seahawks vs. No. 4 Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers, 12 p.m.: We have to support Wagner because of our dumb Super Bowl post.
No. 1 Robert Morris Colonials vs. No. 6 St. Francis (PA) Red Flash, 2 p.m.: Bobby Mo is the best team in this league and its best players are named Lucky and Karvel. Why are you not a Robert Morris fan yet?
Big South Tournament (games on ESPN3)
4S Winthrop Eagles vs. 2S UNC-Asheville Bulldogs, 12 p.m. Weak nickname matchup.
1S Coastal Carolina Chanticleers vs. 2N VMI Keydets, 2 p.m. STRONG nickname matchup.
See More:
