Up and down the Strip Thursday, college hoops fans from every corner of the U.S. were checking in to hotels, placing bets at bustling sports books and mixing testosterone with Bud Light and small hills of nachos. It’s big business for Las Vegas’ resort industry.
Billy Donovan’s bench came up big, bailing out top-seeded Florida in a tight game against what was supposed to be an overmatched opponent. Dorian Finney-Smith scored 16 points, most of them on dunks, and the Gators used a second-half surge to beat No. 16 seed Albany 67-55 in the NCAA tournament Thursday.
Those kids from Harvard are getting a passing grade when it comes to the first game of the NCAA tournament. Ask New Mexico last year. Ask Cincinnati now.
Syracuse guard Trevor Cooney was mired in a shooting slump, and his woes coincided with a late-season swoon by the Orange. Cooney scored 18 points, fellow guard Tyler Ennis had 16, and the Orange defense clamped down in a 77-53 victory over Western Michigan on Thursday in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Talib Zanna helped Pittsburgh jump out to a huge lead and the Panthers cruised the rest of the way. Zanna scored 16 of his 18 points in the opening half and Pitt built a 28-point advantage on the way to a 77-48 rout of Colorado in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Thursday.
Dayton is re-configuring the college basketball map in Ohio. It no longer runs through Columbus after Vee Sanford’s layup with 3.8 seconds left secured 11th-seeded Dayton’s 60-59 victory over sixth-seeded Ohio State in the second round of the of the NCAA tournament on Thursday.
Wisconsin turned its NCAA tournament opener into a red-and-white party. Ben Brust scored 17 points and the Badgers devastated American with a 22-5 run to close the first half in a 75-35 victory Thursday before a friendly crowd in Milwaukee, barely 90 minutes from their home in Madison.
The state of Indiana had 10 chances to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. It went 0-for-10. This is only the second time since 1973 the Hoosier State has not placed a team in the bracket.
Most sports writers won’t admit to cheering for certain teams at the NCAA Tournament. There shall be no cheering from the press box. But if you are watching the Madness unfold in a sports book, it’s OK to pull for certain teams.
