3/27 NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen Game Thread

[Game4Tino]

The Madness returns with four huge games tonight:

7:10 EST - No. 7 West Virginia at No.3 Xavier

I've got Xavier, had em' picked to beat Duke in this game, but the Dookies didn't show.

7:27 EST - No. 4 Washington State at No. 1 North Carolina
Carolina in a blowout.

9:40 EST - No. 12 Western Kentucky at No. 1 UCLA

Don't believe the hype, the Bruins will ruin these guys.

9:57 EAST - No. 3 Louisville at No. 2 Tennessee

Best game of the night, going away. I've got my man Rick Pitino and the Cardinals in this one. Can't wait for it!!

[YanksFan1992]

I'll be rooting for Washington State , Western Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia.

[Game4Tino]

92 Loves...

[TinoFan84]

Gotta go for my WVU Mountaineers (they screwed up my brackets by beating Duke anyway so why not keep it going???).

UNC ... 'nuff said (though this is the game being shown in the DC area and it's annoying me since my Mountaineers are the other game!

UCLA ... shouldn't be much of a problem.

And as painful as this is for me to say ... Go Louisville!

[CyYoung4Vazquez]

I really cannot understand why the UNC game is on local NYC televison. Apparently they have quite the bandwagon. You would think they would show WVU since they are in the Big East.

[Game4Tino]

I really cannot understand why the UNC game is on local NYC televison. Apparently they have quite the bandwagon. You would think they would show WVU since they are in the Big East.

There are a ton of Carolina fans in the NY area. I guess it's because they compete year in year out. Also, for a lot of folks, Jordan had something to do with it. I have always been a Big East fan, but if Syracuse, St.John's (LOL) Georgetown or UConn aren't around, NY really doesn't hold true to any conference loyalty.

[CyYoung4Vazquez]

There are a ton of Carolina bandwagons in the NY area. I guess it's because they compete year in year out. Also, for a lot of folks, Jordan had something to do with it. I have always been a Big East fan, but if Syracuse, St.John's (LOL) Georgetown or UConn aren't around, NY really doesn't hold true to any conference loyalty.

There you go!

[Ct.Fan]

Let's Go Mountaineers!

[JeffWeaverFan]

I like Xavier, UNC, UCLA, and Tennessee in an upset.

[26 and counting]

My picks for tonight:

West Virginia over Xavier
North Carolina over Washington State
Louisville over Tennessee
UCLA over Western Kentucky

[Game4Tino]

I like Xavier, UNC, UCLA, and Tennessee in an upset.

Hmm, Louisville is a 3 point favorite right now. That's a bit surprising.

[26 and counting]

My West Viginia pick isn't looking good so far. I try to root for a Big East team, and they have to get blown out early in the 1st half.

[YanksFan1992]

Xavier is dominating West Virginia and they are up 12 with 6 minutes left in the first.

Washington State is playing well and they are down 1 to UNC halfway through the first.

[YanksFan1992]

Cougars are now down 9, as Washington State can't hit a shot.

[26 and counting]

Make that a 14-point Tar Heel lead at the half, and North Carolina isn't blowing this. They'll likely be in the East Regional Final on Saturday night vs. either Tennessee or Louisville.

[26 and counting]

West Virginia trails Xavier by only 3 early in the 2nd half.

[YanksFan1992]

Make that a 14-point Tar Heel lead at the half, and North Carolina isn't blowing this. They'll likely be in the East Regional Final on Saturday night vs. either Tennessee or Louisville.

The Cougars hit a shot but they went on about a 9 minute stretch where they did almost nothing offensively.

And suddenly, West Virginia has come from as much as 18 down to cut Xavier's lead to only 3.

[Game4Tino]

The WVU/Xavier game is looking like a classic. Unfortunately, they are force feeding us Carolina down here.

[26 and counting]

In my area, they're supposed to be showing WVU/Xavier. Just when the game is getting good, they go back to the 14-point UNC/WSU game. CBS really sucks. I have no choice but to go on MMOD and watch a crappy fuzzy picture now.

EDIT: Now they just switched back to the WVU/XAV game.

[YanksFan1992]

The WVU/Xavier game is looking like a classic. Unfortunately, they are force feeding us Carolina down here.

Same here, I completely despise both teams so I really wish they would change it.

[YanksFan1992]

For a second I thought they were changing the game, but it was just a live look-in.

[26 and counting]

Because of CBS last week, I missed the whole Davidson comeback vs. Georgetown. On the other hand, I did get to see the whole ending of Butler/Tennessee, which was great. But by the time they got to the Davidson game, Davidson had already pulled ahead, so I missed the emotions of the whole thing.

The West Virginia game is really good. Everytime they pull to within one point, Xavier gets a couple of baskets to stay ahead. I don't know who's going to win this one.

[YanksFan1992]

This is completely ridiculous....

Instead of showing us a 2 point game with 4 minutes left, they are showing us a 20 point game.

I don't know if CBS realizes this, but most people in Seattle really don't care about the Cougars and even most Cougars fans would probably rather see the other game at this point.

Completely ridiculous how they haven't switched the games yet, I guess some show producer had a bad experience in Seattle sometime.

[YanksFan1992]

This is unbelieveable, tie game with 2 minutes left between West Virginia and Xavier and they continue to show us a blowout WSU-UNC game.

I am more that pissed right now...

[YanksFan1992]

Finallllly they change the game.

[YanksFan1992]

West Virginia has the ball and they are down 2 with 21 seconds left.

[26 and counting]

Couldn't have asked for a better game to lead off the Sweet Sixteen.

[26 and counting]

Going to OT!

Joe Alexander was an 82% free throw shooter, but couldn't drain the go-ahead bucket after the two-point shot.

[YanksFan1992]

West Virginia and Xavier are headed to OT!

[CptCrunch]

Great shot by Alexander to tie it. Too bad he missed the foul shot.

[Game4Tino]

I am soooooo happy Alexander missed that free throw. The refs really turned against Xavier the last five minutes and calling that ticky tack crap when you just missed a call on the other end is inexcusable.

That shot by Lavender to end regulation was atrocious.

OT is going to be a battle of attrition. Who will lose their big gun first?

[CptCrunch]

Alexander's out. Bad news for WVU.

[Game4Tino]

Aaaand it's WVU losing Alexander at the start of OT. I wish the refs would've swallowed the whistles a bit more in this game. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt because it's been a really physical game.

[26 and counting]

WVU might be in trouble as Alexander fouls out.

[Game4Tino]

Xavier needs to find some offense or this could be over.

[CptCrunch]

Now Duncan's out.

[Game4Tino]

wow, what a weak foul at the 2:13 mark...

[26 and counting]

West Virginia is going to lose this game because of free throws.

[Game4Tino]

They may, they just missed four of the biggest ever, in a row

[26 and counting]

That might have been goaltending. Now just 2 seconds on the shot clock for Xavier with about 30 seconds left and a 1 point lead.

[Game4Tino]

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiide open

[CptCrunch]

Wow, nailed the open 3.

[26 and counting]

How could they leave a guy that open with 2 seconds left on the shot clock, for a wide open three pointer? That might just do it.

[CptCrunch]

Ugh, another Big East team bites the dust.

[Game4Tino]

That'll do it. Great game and I'm 2-0 so far! Wonder if I'll be in better than 50000th place on espn.com tomorrow...

[26 and counting]

How many teams will lose games in this tournament because of poor free throw shooting? Texas A&M made less than half against UCLA in a two point loss, West Virginia couldn't make them in overtime, and Memphis will probably eventually lose because they can't make free throws.

[Game4Tino]

How many teams will lose games in this tournament because of poor free throw shooting? Texas A&M made less than half against UCLA in a two point loss, West Virginia couldn't make them in overtime, and Memphis will probably eventually lose because they can't make free throws.

I'm counting on Memphis to miss a few and lose to the Spartans tomorrow night.

[YanksFan1992]

I was rooting for West Virginia, but I had Xavier in the Sweet 16 so I don't particularly mind.

[Yanks1976]

Tenn-UL up next. The Bruce is Loose...

http://www.ryanparkersongs.com/2008/...-is-loose.html

That guy is, um, unique.

[YanksFan1992]

Looking at some of the top brackets on ESPN (this guy is one of two people tied for first) is pretty incredible.

One had Siena, San Diego, Western Kentucky winning in the first round, Davidson and Western Kentucky in the Sweet 16, and the only Sweet 16 team he got wrong was Villanova.