John Clay's Sidelines

As Gary Parrish of CBS Sports points out, for a team to make its way through this NCAA Tournament, you better be able to play defense.

Going by Ken Pomeroy’s statistical rankings, based on points per possessions, the nation’s best five defensive teams are all in the Sweet 16. Those would be No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Louisville, No. 3 Michigan State, No. 4. Wisconsin and No. 5 Kansas.

Only three of the top five offensive teams are still alive. Those would be No. 2 Kentucky, No. 3 Florida and No. 4 Indiana.

Continue reading ‘If you want to advance in NCAA Tourney, play defense’

Let’s take a look at the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 matchups, ranked by level of interest:

1. South – (1) Kentucky vs. (4) Indiana: The rematch from the December instant classic in Bloomington. We’ll be re-examining the first meeting right up to tipoff late Friday night. Kentucky was a young team on that December day. Indiana was not sure how good it was going to be at that point. So some things have changed from now to then. Including this: Indiana had the motivation that day. Kentucky has the motivation on the second go-around.

Continue reading ‘Ranking the NCAA’s Sweet 16 matchups’

(H-L photo/Charles Bertram)

When researching the  schools that have reached the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 the past five years, a couple of things stand out.

John Calipari is the only coach in college basketball to have taken a team to the Sweet 16 in each of the past five years.

Calipari’s Memphis teams reached the Sweet 16 in both 2008 and 2009, advancing all the way to the title game in 2008. Calipari’s first three Kentucky teams have also reached the Sweet. The 2010 Cats lost in the Elite Eight. The 2011 Cats lost in the Final Four. The 2012 Cats play Indiana in a Sweet 16 game on Friday at 9:45 p.m. in Atlanta.

No school has reached the Sweet 16 in each of the five years.

Continue reading ‘John Calipari only coach to reach last five Sweet 16s’

Yes, Kentucky and Louisville are in the Sweet 16.

And if you want to toss in Indiana, the Golden Triangle of Lexington-Louisville-Bloomington is still alive and kicking this far into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1993.

But — surprise — Ohio may be the true king of college basketball.

The Buckeye State is home to one quarter of the teams remaining in the Sweet 16. Cincinnati, Xavier, Ohio State and Ohio are all 2-0 in this year’s tournament.

Continue reading ‘Is state of Ohio the king of college basketball?’

The University of North Carolina has reported that starting point guard Kendall Marshall broke his right wrist in the team’s win over Creighton today, meaning the Tar Heel is probably out for the rest of the tournament.

Marshall had 18 points and 11 assists in UNC’s win today. North Carolina advanced on to the Midwest Regional semifinals in St. Louis, but apparently without Marshall. North Carolina is the No. 1 seed in the Midwest.

Continue reading ‘Report: UNC’s Kendall Marshall fractures wrist’

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Press conference transcript of Iowa State previewing Saturday’s game with Kentucky.

Q.  Royce, it’s pretty well‑known you almost went to Kentucky before going to Iowa State.  What was it that kept you from getting on that plane to Lexington? 

ROYCE WHITE:  Just kind of a certain deal.  It was pretty much a call one night, and I was going to need to get on the plane the next day.  That was kind of uncomfortable for me much.

I had met with Coach before via phone, and there were some things going on, such as my son being born, and we needed to be in close proximity to Minnesota anyway.  So it’s a number of things didn’t work out the way that I would have liked.

Continue reading ‘Iowa State players: “We’re not misfit toys”’

One of the more successful mid-major programs over the years, Murray State sits one win away from the first Sweet 16 appearance in the school’s history.

“I can’t even put into words what that would mean,” head coach Steve Prohm said at the team’s meeting with the press today. “What it would mean to the school and to Murray, but mainly what it would mean to these 14 kids.”

After beating Colorado State 58-41 on Thursday, Murray meets Marquette on Saturday at the KFC Yum Center. After upsetting Vanderbilt last year in 2010 in the Round of 64, Murray lost a heartbreaker to a Butler team that ended up in the national championship game. Murray lost 54-52 when Isaiah Cannan could not get off his shot at game’s end, tried to pass and turned the ball over.

Continue reading ‘Murray State ready for its shot at first Sweet 16′