March On!

I feel his pain

Without question, the most poignant image of Saturday's Kansas victory over North Carolina was Jayhawks reserve Rodrick Stewart, sitting behind the Kansas bench with his fractured kneecap propped up on a chair. Still, he was in his warmups and was cheering as much as he could for his teammates. I felt badly for him, as did my colleague, Tara Sullivan.

He spoke with reporters yesterday and said the pain when the injury happened Friday was excruciating, adding 'you can't imagine' it.

I have to disagree, Rod, because I've been there myself. In 1986, I fractured my left patella, aka kneecap, while playing touch football. Like Stewart, I wasn't even hit. I even showed him the scar, and told him what the operation would be like.

He asked me how it felt when it happened, and I said it felt like there was a 'miniature mountain range' where my kneecap was. He looked at me and said, 'that's EXACTLY what it felt like.'

Like I said, Rod, I know. I was up and walking in 3 1/2 weeks after the surgery. Best of luck with your recovery, and I give you credit for answering all the questions despite your physical and emotional pain.   

Prediction

Memphis 75, Kansas 69

Just can't see Kansas coming up with two outstanding performances back-to-back, and the Jayhawks will need another to stop Derrick Rose and Memphis' offense. Carolina didn't handle adversity well, but I don't think Memphis would get as rattled if it fell behind. Carolina's impatience once it was behind contributed to it becoming a 28-point deficit in the semis.

Memphis-UCLA first-half thoughts

Bad sign for Memphis that the Tigers clearly outplayed UCLA in the first half, yet wound up with only a three-point lead. Memphis shut down Kevin Love for much of the first half, but he still finished with 10 points.

Fittingly, during one timeout, the UCLA band played 'California Girls.' Love's uncle Mike, of course, was/is one of the Beach Boys. Other interesting timeout entertainment was provided by the NCAA, which showed UConn's long-ago Sweet 16 buzzer-beater against Clemson. Jim Calhoun looked a lot younger in 1990, but then again, didn't we all.

Predictions

UCLA vs. Memphis

I’m not saying this game will be a track meet, but it can’t be worse than

the taffy pull of two years ago when UCLA won a bricklayers’ convention 50-45 in the West Regional final. As I wrote in today’s editions of The Record, both teams are much different, especially because of each one’s super freshman. Plus, Memphis runs its offense much better than it did two years ago, mainly because of point guard Derrick Rose’s ability and creativity. As for the Bruins, Ben Howland finally took his team out of the straitjacket on offense [too bad C. Vivian Stringer didn’t do the same for the Rutgers women against UConn on Tuesday]. Anyway, UCLA averaged 82 points last weekend. Still, Memphis is clicking on all cylinders and wins a close one. Memphis, 67-63

Kansas vs. North Carolina

North Carolina is the overall No. 1 seed and was my original choice to win the whole thing, so I’m not going to change now. The Tar Heels’ depth will be too much in this one, even for a very deep Kansas team to cope with. Certainly the Jayhawks have the athletes to get up and down the court with Carolina. But will they finish as often on the fast break? Don’t think so. And as much as Kansas tries to wear down Tyler Hansbrough with its depth inside, the national Player of the Year will get his points. North Carolina, 81-73

Freak injury for Kansas

Kansas reserve Rodrick Stewart's Final Four ended before it began, as he fractured his right kneecap when he went up for a dunk during open practice and landed awkwardly. Kansas coach Bill Self said Stewart slipped on a wet spot.

Stewart, a USC transfer, averaged 2.8 points in 11.6 minutes this season, although he had played only nine minutes in the Jayhawks' four NCAA tournament games.

Perhaps not wanting to tempt fate, Memphis' open practice was much more subdued. The Tigers practiced after Kansas, and in fact, ended their allotted 50-minute session 13 minutes early. They spent much time working on free throws, perhaps a nod to the critics who have constantly questioned that aspect of their game.

Open-door policy

One of the most fun aspects of Final Four Friday is that fans are admitted free to open practices in the Dome du Jour. These practices are more like glorified workouts, as obviously coaches won't run any actual plays in front of prying eyes. However, it leads to some fun, as they invariably turn into dunking and shot-making exhibitions, kind of like the old fast-food spot with Jordan and Bird playing H-O-R-S-E.

For UCLA, Kevin Love worked on his length-of-the-court shot, and finally banked one in [two-handed, no less] to the admiration of the crowd. He also swished one.

The Lone Star...Waffle?

Here at the Alamodome, getting ready for the Friday media availability. It's a rapid-fire kind of thing, but it's not quite as hectic as the day before the first round, when there are eight teams to worry about.

I knew where I was this morning at the media hotel, when I made a waffle at the free breakfast buffet. The waffle irons all are shaped like the state of Texas. I think I had more syrup around Galveston than Lubbock, but that's the way it goes.

Goliath beats David(son)

Credit Stephen Curry and Davidson for somewhat salvaging one of the most lackluster Sweet 16/Elite 8 weekends in recent NCAA history. But they just couldn't quite finish against Kansas.

But it's frustrating that for all his brilliance, Curry made a crucial mistake with the game on the line. [I know, it's like saying Michelangelo wasn't so great because he missed a spot on the ceiling.] But I think Curry took a little too long to set up the play on the final possession.

Granted, I understand why Curry had to pass the ball to Jason Richards for the possible game-winning 3. He was double-teamed. [Credit the Jayhawks for some great defense on that last play.] And I understand why coach Bob McKillop had Curry bring the ball up, for fear he wouldn't get it if someone else brought the ball up. But maybe, just maybe, if he had gotten the ball into the frontcourt just a bit quicker, the Wildcats could've gotten off a better shot.

We'll never know. But the loss in no way diminishes what Curry did in this NCAA tournament. Still, it was a frustating ending, akin to reading a great novel and finding the last chapter torn out and replaced by the script from the pilot for Cavemen.   

CBS: Clueless Beyond Salvaging

It's amazing that in its 27th consecutive year of showing the tournament, CBS still doesn't get it.

Last night, they switched away from Davidson-Wisconsin because Curry & Co. were up 17 with under eight minutes left. Uh, hello? The underdog being up 17 is a HUGE story, CBS. You don't switch away unless you have a one-possession game in the final minute someplace else, which was not the case. In fact, as soon as they joined Stanford-Texas, that game became a blowout.

At least CBS did switch us back to see the end of Davidson's huge upset, but still . . .

The good thing from here on in? CBS doesn't have any more choices to make. The games are all standalones, and if the first game goes into OT these next days, they can just stick with it. They don't have to make value judgments, something they still are terrible at doing.

Don't like NCAA's decor

Just like last season, the NCAA has gone to generic courts for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8. All four courts being used--in Detroit, Phoenix, Charlotte and Houston--look exactly the same. The faux woodgrain paneling, black baselines and sidelines, a small blue semi-circle from the foul line going toward midcourt.

In other words, BORING!!!

I realize the NCAA is a corporation, but does their desire for everything to look the same have to extend that far? Part of the fun of basketball is the flavor of each individual court, as demonstrated by its shades and colors. Instead, the NCAA gives us assembly-line sameness.

And worst of all, the lane is the same faux woodgrain. Uh, it's called the paint because it's supposed to be, you know, PAINTED. Hence, the stat is referred to as points in the paint, not points in the boring woodgrain.