Round 1 - Top Performers (2008 NCAA Tournament)


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2008 March Madness Coverage Top Performers - Round 1 By: Patrick Crawley Best Performances from Days 1 & 2 of the NCAA Tournament After a mediocre opening on Thursday, March Madness took an exciting turn on Friday with upsets by Western Kentucky, Davidson, San Diego, Siena and Villanova. If the opening days of March Madness were the plot of a horror movie, day one would be the awkward character development part. You know, the slow part in the beginning where the audience meets the vulnerable female lead and pretends to give a crap? Day two would be the second act, the part where the monsters get out and the killings start. Quite a few quality teams fell in day two. Hasheem Thabeet's fourth-seeded UConn Huskies fell in overtime to the Toreros of San Diego. Vanderbilt, also a #4 seed, lost to surprisingly dominant Siena. Fifth-seeded Clemson fell apart in the second half and lost to Villanova. And Kyle Korver's brother, Klayton, met an untimely tournament death as fifth-seeded Drake fell to Western Kentucky in OT. The upsets were fun to watch, but individual breakouts dominated the second day of tournament play. The usual suspects like Tyler Hansbrough (21 points against Mount St. Mary's), A.J. Abrams (26 points against Austin Peay) and Chris Douglas-Roberts (23 points against Texas-Arlington) all showed up in full effect as their respective teams marched to victory (as expected). But the most exciting performances came from the mid-major breakout stars; guys like Tyrone Brazelton (of Western Kentucky), Gyno Pomare (of San Diego) and Kenny Hasbrouck (of Siena). You know, the guys who had you glued to the TV for an hour and a half yesterday afternoon, wondering things like: Why are there so many top-seeded teams that can't play defense? Why didn't teams in the ACC scout Stephen Curry? And, why didn't I pick two thirteen seeds to advance to the second round? Numerous players broke the 20 point mark on Friday, a handful of others topped 30 and one (Curry of Davidson) even sprung for 40. In other words, it was a good day of college basketball. In terms of individual performance, Thursday wasn't bad either. That is, if you discount the miserable showings by Robin Lopez, DeMarcus Nelson and Drew Neitzel. Below you'll find a breakdown of my ten favorite game-changing performances of Round 1. Players are not listed in any particular order. Stephen Curry - Sophomore, Guard (Davidson) 40 points, 5 steals, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 14-22 FG, 8-10 3PT, 39 minutes It's hard not to get excited about Curry's ability to score. He's lights-out from anywhere on the floor (so much so that I think he should have a permanent lights-out nickname, like "Blackout" or "The Switch" or something). In Davidson's victory over Gonzaga on Friday afternoon, Curry was 8-10 from downtown (that's 80%!), including a dagger-in-the-heart triple that ended up being the game-winner. Curry was also nails down the stretch. 30 of his 40 points came in the second half and he hit three of four clutch free throws to seal the game. Also, let's not forget Curry's contribution on defense; the 6'3" guard had 5 steals against the Zags. If he keeps this up, Curry could replace Dwyane Wade as my all-time favorite tournament player. Jack McClinton - Junior, Guard (Miami of FL) 38 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 12-19 FG, 11-11 FT, 3-6 3PT, 37 minutes I won't lie, I didn't get a chance to see McClinton play in Miami's victory over St. Mary's. But any guard who can get 38 points in 37 minutes and hit eleven consecutive free throws is pretty damn good in my book. It should be exciting to see McClinton match up against Texas' A.J. Abrams in the second round. Pete Campbell - Senior, Forward (Butler) 26 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block, 9-11 FG, 8-10 3PT, 20 minutes Of all the incredible upperclassmen on the Butler roster, Campbell was the one who I least expected to explode for 25+ points. His contribution off the bench against Southern Alabama (26 points in 20 minutes, 8-10 from long range) ensures good tournament memories for the rest of his life, no matter what happens to the Bulldogs in the next round. Personally, I like them to knock off Tennessee and march into the Elite Eight (but that's just me). Like Stephen Curry, Campbell shot 80% from downtown on Friday. I'm awfully impressed that two players shot so well from the perimeter on the same day. Sonny Weems - Senior, Forward (Arkansas) 31 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 12-14 FG, 3-4 3PT, 37 minutes Weems owns my favorite name of this year's tournament. "Sonny Weems". Who doesn't love a name like that? This athletic swingman was the difference-maker in Arkansas' decisive victory over Indiana on Friday night (86-72. Aren't 8-9 seed matchups supposed to be more competitive than this?). The 31 points Weems scored against the Hoosiers is a season-high for him. Charles Rhodes - Senior, Forward (Mississippi St.) 34 points, 9 rebounds, 10-12 FG, 14-18 FT, 37 minutes Mississippi State's 76-69 win over ninth-seeded Oregon was much closer than the score indicates. In the back-and-forth battle between the Ducks and the Bulldogs, Rhodes' nine rebounds were huge; especially considering that four of them came on the offensive glass. His 34 points on 83.3% shooting didn't hurt either. Don't get too excited about Rhodes though, Bulldog fans. Memphis forward Joey Dorsey will knaw him like a chew-toy on Sunday. Jonathan Cox - Junior, Forward (Drake) 29 points, 16 rebounds (8 off.), 2 blocks, 1 steal, 8-12 FG, 4-6 3PT, 9-10 FT, 39 minutes Cox willed Drake back from a huge second half deficit with defense, rebounding, interior scoring, perimeter scoring, hustle, tenacity and success at the free throw line. Half of his rebounds came on the offensive glass, including a huge offensive board with five seconds left in overtime which led to two lead-changing free throws. Unfortunately, that lead was erased seconds later as Western Kentucky hit a buzzer-beating three. But, let's focus on the positive here. Jonathan Cox was an absolute beast for Drake when they needed it the most. His 29 points and 16 rebounds were both season-highs. Well done, Cox. Well done. Michael Beasley - Freshman, Forward (Kansas St.) 23 points, 11 rebounds, 1 block, 7-12 FG, 8-10 FT, 29 minutes What can I say here that hasn't been said already? How about this? Michael Beasley could have done a helluva lot better than 23 points and 11 boards against a depleted USC front line on Thursday. I was very disappointed with his performance in the first half. With that said, I think B-Easy did an excellent job down the stretch. The three-pointer he hit from the elbow was the death knell for the Trojans. There's no way Kansas State could have won the game without him. Gerald Henderson - Sophomore, Guard (Duke) 21 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals, 8-14 FG, 4-4 FT, 32 minutes I won't waste words, Henderson's defensive rebound and coast-to-coast breakout lay-up in the final minute of the Duke-Belmont game single-handedly saved DeMarcus Nelson's ass. Nelson really pissed his pants that game (2 points, 4 rebounds in 29 minutes...this guy's supposed to be a legit NBA prospect?!) and Henderson bailed him out with a terrific play. Nelson should spit-shine Henderson's shoes for a month. Josh Carter - Junior, Forward (Texas A&M) 26 points, 5 rebounds, 10-16 FG, 6-10 3PT, 36 minutes When I reviewed Carter's stats on Thursday night, I thought 6-10 three-point shooting was really impressive. That's before I saw Curry's performance on Friday afternoon and Campbell's display in the Butler-Southern Alabama game. Three-point shooting aside, Carter's runner in the lane in crunch time (a shot that gave the Aggies a 61-57 lead) exemplified his ability to score from anywhere on the court; not to mention his calm under pressure. A&M's win over BYU was impressive; without Carter they would be hard-pressed to repeat the effort. Acie Law who? Kevin Love - Freshman, Center (UCLA) 20 points, 9 rebounds, 4 blocks, 8-15 FG, 3-6 3PT, 21 minutes Lots of people are fawning over Kevin Love these days, including my buddy King (who said on Thursday that he would take Love with a Top 10 in the upcoming NBA draft). Based on the tweener principle, I'm not quite ready to jump on board. Put simply, you have to have adaquate size to compete with NBA-level players. I do think, however, that Love is exactly the type of player to lead UCLA to a championship. His 20 points in 21 minutes exemplifies the productivity he brings to the Bruins. It's also enlightening to see him earn those four blocks, even if it was against lowly Mississippi Valley State. UCLA's upcoming match-up against Texas A&M should provide a pretty good barometer of where Love is, in relation to NBA-level talent.

Best Performances from Days 1 & 2 of the NCAA Tournament

After a mediocre opening on Thursday, March Madness took an exciting turn on Friday with upsets by Western Kentucky, Davidson, San Diego, Siena and Villanova. If the opening days of March Madness were the plot of a horror movie, day one would be the awkward character development part. You know, the slow part in the beginning where the audience meets the vulnerable female lead and pretends to give a crap? Day two would be the second act, the part where the monsters get out and the killings start.

Quite a few quality teams fell in day two.

Hasheem Thabeet's fourth-seeded UConn Huskies fell in overtime to the Toreros of San Diego. Vanderbilt, also a #4 seed, lost to surprisingly dominant Siena. Fifth-seeded Clemson fell apart in the second half and lost to Villanova. And Kyle Korver's brother, Klayton, met an untimely tournament death as fifth-seeded Drake fell to Western Kentucky in OT.

The upsets were fun to watch, but individual breakouts dominated the second day of tournament play.

The usual suspects like Tyler Hansbrough (21 points against Mount St. Mary's), A.J. Abrams (26 points against Austin Peay) and Chris Douglas-Roberts (23 points against Texas-Arlington) all showed up in full effect as their respective teams marched to victory (as expected). But the most exciting performances came from the mid-major breakout stars; guys like Tyrone Brazelton (of Western Kentucky), Gyno Pomare (of San Diego) and Kenny Hasbrouck (of Siena). You know, the guys who had you glued to the TV for an hour and a half yesterday afternoon, wondering things like: Why are there so many top-seeded teams that can't play defense? Why didn't teams in the ACC scout Stephen Curry? And, why didn't I pick two thirteen seeds to advance to the second round?

Numerous players broke the 20 point mark on Friday, a handful of others topped 30 and one (Curry of Davidson) even sprung for 40. In other words, it was a good day of college basketball.

In terms of individual performance, Thursday wasn't bad either. That is, if you discount the miserable showings by Robin Lopez, DeMarcus Nelson and Drew Neitzel.

Below you'll find a breakdown of my ten favorite game-changing performances of Round 1. Players are not listed in any particular order.

Stephen Curry - Sophomore, Guard (Davidson)
40 points, 5 steals, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 14-22 FG, 8-10 3PT, 39 minutes

It's hard not to get excited about Curry's ability to score. He's lights-out from anywhere on the floor (so much so that I think he should have a permanent lights-out nickname, like "Blackout" or "The Switch" or something). In Davidson's victory over Gonzaga on Friday afternoon, Curry was 8-10 from downtown (that's 80%!), including a dagger-in-the-heart triple that ended up being the game-winner. Curry was also nails down the stretch. 30 of his 40 points came in the second half and he hit three of four clutch free throws to seal the game. Also, let's not forget Curry's contribution on defense; the 6'3" guard had 5 steals against the Zags. If he keeps this up, Curry could replace Dwyane Wade as my all-time favorite tournament player.

Jack McClinton - Junior, Guard (Miami of FL)
38 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 12-19 FG, 11-11 FT, 3-6 3PT, 37 minutes

I won't lie, I didn't get a chance to see McClinton play in Miami's victory over St. Mary's. But any guard who can get 38 points in 37 minutes and hit eleven consecutive free throws is pretty damn good in my book. It should be exciting to see McClinton match up against Texas' A.J. Abrams in the second round.

Pete Campbell - Senior, Forward (Butler)
26 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block, 9-11 FG, 8-10 3PT, 20 minutes

Of all the incredible upperclassmen on the Butler roster, Campbell was the one who I least expected to explode for 25+ points. His contribution off the bench against Southern Alabama (26 points in 20 minutes, 8-10 from long range) ensures good tournament memories for the rest of his life, no matter what happens to the Bulldogs in the next round. Personally, I like them to knock off Tennessee and march into the Elite Eight (but that's just me). Like Stephen Curry, Campbell shot 80% from downtown on Friday. I'm awfully impressed that two players shot so well from the perimeter on the same day.

Sonny Weems - Senior, Forward (Arkansas)
31 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 12-14 FG, 3-4 3PT, 37 minutes

Weems owns my favorite name of this year's tournament. "Sonny Weems". Who doesn't love a name like that? This athletic swingman was the difference-maker in Arkansas' decisive victory over Indiana on Friday night (86-72. Aren't 8-9 seed matchups supposed to be more competitive than this?). The 31 points Weems scored against the Hoosiers is a season-high for him.

Charles Rhodes - Senior, Forward (Mississippi St.)
34 points, 9 rebounds, 10-12 FG, 14-18 FT, 37 minutes

Mississippi State's 76-69 win over ninth-seeded Oregon was much closer than the score indicates. In the back-and-forth battle between the Ducks and the Bulldogs, Rhodes' nine rebounds were huge; especially considering that four of them came on the offensive glass. His 34 points on 83.3% shooting didn't hurt either. Don't get too excited about Rhodes though, Bulldog fans. Memphis forward Joey Dorsey will knaw him like a chew-toy on Sunday.

Jonathan Cox - Junior, Forward (Drake)
29 points, 16 rebounds (8 off.), 2 blocks, 1 steal, 8-12 FG, 4-6 3PT, 9-10 FT, 39 minutes

Cox willed Drake back from a huge second half deficit with defense, rebounding, interior scoring, perimeter scoring, hustle, tenacity and success at the free throw line. Half of his rebounds came on the offensive glass, including a huge offensive board with five seconds left in overtime which led to two lead-changing free throws. Unfortunately, that lead was erased seconds later as Western Kentucky hit a buzzer-beating three. But, let's focus on the positive here. Jonathan Cox was an absolute beast for Drake when they needed it the most. His 29 points and 16 rebounds were both season-highs. Well done, Cox. Well done.

Michael Beasley - Freshman, Forward (Kansas St.)
23 points, 11 rebounds, 1 block, 7-12 FG, 8-10 FT, 29 minutes

What can I say here that hasn't been said already? How about this? Michael Beasley could have done a helluva lot better than 23 points and 11 boards against a depleted USC front line on Thursday. I was very disappointed with his performance in the first half. With that said, I think B-Easy did an excellent job down the stretch. The three-pointer he hit from the elbow was the death knell for the Trojans. There's no way Kansas State could have won the game without him.

Gerald Henderson - Sophomore, Guard (Duke)
21 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals, 8-14 FG, 4-4 FT, 32 minutes

I won't waste words, Henderson's defensive rebound and coast-to-coast breakout lay-up in the final minute of the Duke-Belmont game single-handedly saved DeMarcus Nelson's ass. Nelson really pissed his pants that game (2 points, 4 rebounds in 29 minutes...this guy's supposed to be a legit NBA prospect?!) and Henderson bailed him out with a terrific play. Nelson should spit-shine Henderson's shoes for a month.

Josh Carter - Junior, Forward (Texas A&M)
26 points, 5 rebounds, 10-16 FG, 6-10 3PT, 36 minutes

When I reviewed Carter's stats on Thursday night, I thought 6-10 three-point shooting was really impressive. That's before I saw Curry's performance on Friday afternoon and Campbell's display in the Butler-Southern Alabama game. Three-point shooting aside, Carter's runner in the lane in crunch time (a shot that gave the Aggies a 61-57 lead) exemplified his ability to score from anywhere on the court; not to mention his calm under pressure. A&M's win over BYU was impressive; without Carter they would be hard-pressed to repeat the effort. Acie Law who?

Kevin Love - Freshman, Center (UCLA)
20 points, 9 rebounds, 4 blocks, 8-15 FG, 3-6 3PT, 21 minutes

Lots of people are fawning over Kevin Love these days, including my buddy King (who said on Thursday that he would take Love with a Top 10 in the upcoming NBA draft). Based on the tweener principle, I'm not quite ready to jump on board. Put simply, you have to have adaquate size to compete with NBA-level players. I do think, however, that Love is exactly the type of player to lead UCLA to a championship. His 20 points in 21 minutes exemplifies the productivity he brings to the Bruins. It's also enlightening to see him earn those four blocks, even if it was against lowly Mississippi Valley State. UCLA's upcoming match-up against Texas A&M should provide a pretty good barometer of where Love is, in relation to NBA-level talent.