March Madness: Key First-Round Matchups
Let’s take the key first-round matchups and begin to dissect them starting within the East bracket. I’ll be writing throughout the evening, so check back often.
East
#6 Oklahoma Sooners 22-11 vs. #11 St. Joseph’s Hawks 21-12, Friday, 7:10 p.m.
Has Blake Griffin fully recovered from minor knee surgery? Has Longar Longar fully recovered from his broken leg? Can Taylor Griffin continue to play well in his brother Blake’s stead? Can the Sooners three-guard attack make up for the questionable inside play and lack of scoring punch? These are all very real questions Oklahoma head coach Jeff Capel must find answers for by Friday.
Blake Griffin showed enough progress during the Big 12 tournament to allow me to think he’ll be close to 100% by Friday. And the Hawks have no one who can handle him inside. With help from his brother, the Griffins should dominate this game.
And playing against a St. Joe’s team led by cagey head coach, Phil Martelli. The Hawks were second in Atlantic 10 field goal percentage (47.7%) to #3 seed Xavier (47.8%). But defensively they were third to last in the A-10. Martelli’s team is led by Pat Calathes, older brother of Florida standout Nick Calathes. Though Pat can light it up with his up to three-point range, he can be pushed off the block on the offensive end of the floor and pushed around on the block on the defensive end of the floor. St. Joe’s is thin on the bench.
If it sounds like I don’t have much good to say about the Hawks it’s because I don’t. They were one of the last teams in the tournament. And despite the questions the Capel and his Sooners must answer before Friday night, they will defeat the Hawks.
#8 Indiana Hoosiers 25-7 vs. #9 Arkansas Razorbacks 22-11, Friday, 9:40 p.m
Immediately following the firing-buyout-leaving of former Indiana head coach Kelvin Sampson, the Hoosiers played with the efficiency and emotion befitting a #2 or #3 seed. However, once the ardor died down, Indiana limped through the remainder of their season and was upset by Penn state in the Big Ten tournament, earning themselves an eight seed.
Dan Dakich might be a fine coach but he is not the head coach for these players. For whatever reason(s) the Hoosiers are not responding to whatever it is Dakich is using as motivation for his team. The young players seem to respond far better to 6′9″ 251 senior power forward D.J. White. Super freshman guard Eric Gordon looks like he’s playing out the string as a one year-and-done college player and the rest of the baby Hoosiers are in disarray.
Meanwhile Arkansas finished its season by defeating #18 Vanderbilt and #3 Tennessee in back-to-back games in the SEC tournament before losing in the tourney finals to Cinderella team, Georgia. The Razorbacks sport an athletic front line led by 6′10″ 245 pound center Darian Townes (11.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and 6′6″ swingman Sonny Weems (14.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg). These two are complimented by 6′10″ Vincent Hunter, 6′8″ Charles Thomas, and 7′0″ backup Steven Hill who hit the game winner against Tennessee in the SEC tournament.
Razorbacks coach John Pelfrey uses eight players who average more than 14 minutes a game. He uses multiple players and lineups to employ different defensive strategies so as to continuously swing tempo in his team’s favor.
With a turnover-prone and perhaps disinterested Gordon handling the ball for Indiana, look for Arkansas to force Gordon to make decisions with which he is not comfortable and ultimately break down the Hoosiers.
I feel that if Indiana gets down early, they will fold. And Arkansas is 18-0 when leading at halftime. It’s one-and-done time for the Hoosiers in Dan Dakich’s last game as Indiana Hoosiers head coach.
#5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 24-7 vs. #12 George Mason Patriots 23-10, Thursday, 9:50 p.m.
This game can be close only if Notre Dame’s outside shooters go south. The Patriots depend on the inside scoring of 6′7″ 230 pound forward, Will Thomas. The senior leads GMU is scoring and rebounding with 15.8 ppg and 10.5 rpg. He was the leader of the Cinderella Patriots team that advanced to the Final four just two years ago. Thomas brings toughness and the ability to score against defenders of any size.
Notre Dame will counter with 6′8″ 251 pound, Luke Harangody. The Irish sophomore averaged 20.8 ppg and 10.2 rpg this season and he’s tough around the bucket but can step out and can a 15-foot jumper with regularity. If Harangody’s output is augmented by Kyle McAlarney (15.2 ppg) and his three point shooting, and back court mate Tory Jackson (8.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 6.1 apg) penetrates at will, the Irish win in a walk.
But I think George Mason’s three-guard lineup of Folarin Campbell (15.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg), Dre Smith (8.6 ppg), and John Vaughan (12.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg) will cause problems for Notre Dame. Jackson is known to use his strength to get into the lane and cause havoc on opposing defenses. However Dre Smith at 6′0″, 185 is stout himself and will be difficult to beat off the dribble.
Notre Dame will be heavily favored. But look for this game to be much closer than expected.
