US NCAA Final Four 2006

[Devastator]

Anyone watching this? Duke was eliminated a few days ago and kanina an unheralded George Mason team ousted UConn for the right to go to the final 4. Upsets talaga. My pick is UCLA.


From: http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/recap;...260129&prov=ap


11) George Mason 86, (1) Connecticut 84, OT

By JOSEPH WHITE, AP Sports Writer
March 26, 2006

WASHINGTON (AP) -- George Mason's players stood on the press table, waving their jerseys to the crowd. Coach Jim Larranaga walked around with the nylon net around his neck.

It won't be the same old schools from the same old conferences at this year's Final Four -- certainly not top-seeded Connecticut.

Buoyed by a partisan crowd and playing some 20 miles from their campus, 11th-seeded George Mason overcame huge disadvantages in size, athleticism and history Sunday to stun the Huskies 86-84 in overtime, ending a stranglehold that big-time programs have enjoyed for 27 years in college basketball's biggest showcase.

Improbable as it may seem, the powers-that-be are going to have to make room for a suburban commuter school from Fairfax, Va., that was a dicey choice to make the NCAA tournament as an at-large team.

"I was kidding with one of my assistants," Larranaga said, "We're not just an at-large team, we're an at-extra-large. And if we win today, we're going to be an at-extra-double-large. I can't tell you how much fun I'm having."

The Patriots overcame their deficiencies with heart and tenacity. They were never rattled, even when they trailed by 12 late in the first half and nine early in the second. They hit six straight 3-pointers in the second half, shot 5-for-6 in overtime and outrebounded UConn 37-34 even though the Huskies have three starters taller than any of the Patriots' frontcourt players.

There was also motivation from Larranaga, who fired up his team during timeouts by telling them that UConn's players didn't even know which conference George Mason is in.

"That's a little bit of disrespect," guard Tony Skinn said. "Coach told us the CAA stands for 'Connecticut Assassin Association."'

Of course, as more people are learning, CAA stands for Colonial Athletic Association, a league that has never had a team get this far before. The Patriots (27-7) are only the second double-digit seed to make the Final Four, matching LSU's run, also as an 11th seed, in 1986. They are the first true outsider to crash the quartet since Penn and Indiana State both got there in 1979.

George Mason next plays No. 3 seed Florida in Saturday's semifinals in Indianapolis. This marks the first time since the field was expanded to 64 teams in 1985 that no top-seeded team advanced to the Final Four, and the second time in tournament history.

The Patriots' at-large selection was roundly criticized by many, including CBS commentator Billy Packer. George Mason's fans chanted Packer's name in the postgame celebration.

"I think it's been working for us, calling us Cinderella," Skinn said. "We were not supposed to get into the tournament, we got into it. We were not supposed to beat Michigan State and we beat them. Weren't supposed to beat North Carolina and we beat them. We definitely weren't supposed to be UConn. I think we'll stick to the script going into whoever we play. We don't mind being the Cinderella."

All five Mason starters finished in double figures. Jai Lewis had 20, and Lamar Butler and Will Thomas each scored 19. Larranaga's team kept the same five players in the game from the 10:37 mark of regulation to the very end of overtime. Butler was chosen as the most outstanding player of the regional, and he and his father were in tears as they hugged at length on the court after the game.

"I feel so good, through my own sadness, for Jim Larranaga," UConn coach Jim Calhoun said. "Playing at that level is not easy. I can only imagine the feeling they must have on that campus, in that locker room. ... It's something they probably never imagined. We've imagined it, and we've done it. They could never have imagined it."

George Mason, having by far the best season in school history, had never won an NCAA tournament game until it beat half of last year's Final Four -- Michigan State and No. 3 seed North Carolina -- back-to-back in the first two rounds. Now it can say it has beaten the last two national champions -- Connecticut and North Carolina.

Rudy Gay scored 20, and Jeff Adrien had a career-high 17 points for Connecticut (30-4), which never could put together a complete game in the tournament. The Huskies had to rally from double-digit second-half deficits to beat Albany and Washington and barely held off Kentucky.

"They played tough and have a lot of heart," Gay said. "That's all that really matters when you play a game like this."

Folarin Campbell's tough baseline fadeaway gave the Patriots an 84-80 lead in overtime, and UConn suddenly looked like a rattled underdog from a mid-major. Rashad Anderson tossed up an airball 3-point attempt that could have cut the lead to one, and Adrien missed one of two free throws in the final 30 seconds.

But Mason gave UConn a chance to win with poor free-throw shooting. Lewis missed three attempts in the final 15 seconds -- the last two with 6.1 seconds to go -- giving the Huskies a final possession to tie or win. Denham Brown, who made the reverse layup at the regulation buzzer to send the game to overtime, was off the mark from the left wing with a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Throughout the game, chants of "G-M-U" and "Let's Go Mason!" reverberated off the ceiling of the Verizon Center. Green and gold, as expected, were the dominant colors, and the building reached a new-level din of enthusiasm when Skinn made a 3-pointer to tie the game at 21 in the first half.

UConn started 7-for-10 from the field yet couldn't pull away from the tenacious Patriots, who somehow managed to pull down and chase rebounds despite their height disadvantage. When the Huskies went cold, missing seven straight field goals, George Mason pulled even. The second of back-to-back steals by Skinn led to two free throws by Thomas that put the Patriots ahead 29-28, their only lead of the first half.

But the Huskies responded with a 15-2 run. Their lead was 12 when George Mason got a boost just before halftime -- Campbell's three-point play with less than one second remaining cut the deficit to single digits, 43-34, at the break.

The Patriots pulled within one early in the second half with an 8-0 run. Campbell hit a 3-pointer after a gritty offensive rebound by Thomas, and Skinn made a driving layup despite losing control of the ball and changing hands in mid-air. Then, with 12:31 to play, Campbell hit another 3-pointer that tied the game at 49. The next milestone came with 11:09 remaining, when Butler sank another 3 to give Mason a 52-51 lead.

For the next six minutes, the teams punched and counterpunched, with neither leading by more than two until Skinn's 3-pointer with five minutes to go put Mason ahead 67-63. Marcus Williams' steal and three-point play cut Mason's lead to 71-70 with 47 seconds remaining, and the Patriots went 2-of-5 from the foul line in the final minute to give UConn the chance to send the game to overtime on Brown's buzzer-beating layup.

But Mason didn't wilt in the overtime, making Butler's Final Four prediction come true, a prediction he brashly made when he was recruited to George Mason.

"I think I was joking when I said that," Butler said. "I started dreaming when I got to college. It shows you anything can happen."

[chua_riwap]

Once in a while, pinapanood ko rin yan. Sayang yung Duke, na-tigpas sila. Ang galing nung si JJ Reddick. Tindi sa 3 pts. Pero nu'ng mga huling games nila, "marked man" na siya bantay sa rado na. Sigurado, star ito pag umakyat sa NBA.

I'll be watching the games more, Final 4 na.

[ILuvDetailing]

IMO JJ Riddick won't be a star in the NBA, think Trajan Langdon parang ganon laro ni Riddict - too small and too slow to play the 2-guard, not enough ball handling and play making skills to play the point. The LSU team they faced played great defense, exposing Riddick's biggest weakness - inability to create his own shot. My pick to win it all LSU - strong frontcourt tandem of Glen Davis and future lottery pick Tyus Thomas will be their anchors, my brother roots for his alma matter UCLA maybe I can have a little wager with him

[wren]

IMO JJ Riddick won't be a star in the NBA, think Trajan Langdon parang ganon laro ni Riddict - too small and too slow to play the 2-guard, not enough ball handling and play making skills to play the point. The LSU team they faced played great defense, exposing Riddick's biggest weakness - inability to create his own shot. My pick to win it all LSU - strong frontcourt tandem of Glen Davis and future lottery pick Tyus Thomas will be their anchors, my brother roots for his alma matter UCLA maybe I can have a little wager with him

i kinda agree with you, the NBA is much too fast and quick, but the boy could shoot, so depende rin siguro which team picks him. if he ends up playing with the likes of lebron or kobe, he might do OK.

who do you guys think will have a better NBA career, JJ or morrison?

[empy]

i kinda agree with you, the NBA is much too fast and quick, but the boy could shoot, so depende rin siguro which team picks him. if he ends up playing with the likes of lebron or kobe, he might do OK.

who do you guys think will have a better NBA career, JJ or morrison?

i think about the same. Redick to me is a Steve Kerr type, with much better ability to shoot on the move. best case scenario would be a Reggie Miller without the killer instinct. he'll struggle in the NBA because he neither has the length (like Glen Rice) or the athleticism (like Ray Allen) to get his shot off all the time.

the guy who shut him down in the LSU game was a PG. now imagine NBA SG's like Kobe or Bowen guarding him.

Morrison has been compared to Larry Bird, which imo is pure BS. he's a good shooter but doesn't have anywhere near the defense or rebounding that Bird has, which in my opinion makes him more like another Boston Celtic - Wally Szcerbiak. he won't be able to guard anybody at the 3 spot, and the longer, physical guys like Artest and KG will give him nightmares at the other end.

[empy]

talo Hoyas sa sweet 16 to the Florida Gators. bwiiseeeet!!

it was a good game though. very hard fought and it came to a pivotal 3-pt play in the end. Georgetown missing two easy layups and a wide-open 3...and a guy from Florida hitting a twisting, throw-it-at-the-hoop-after-being-fouled layup for the deciding plays.

[silverbx986]

my pick to the finals.... LSU vs. Florida

[chua_riwap]

my pick to the finals.... LSU vs. Florida

Yep. Me too, I pick these 2 teams.

[flakez]

sayang duke. sarap lang kasi panooring ng fans nila saka ng shooting ni reddick

[ILuvDetailing]

Televised ata to sa Sports Plus this sunday AM - primer starts at 4:30AM.

[wren]

i'm rooting for the underdogs, george mason, but i think LSU will win the whole thing.

[laklak]

JJ could surprise a lot of skeptics when he goes to the NBA. Naalala ko tuloy si kirk hinrich nung pinili siya ng bulls. Akala ko nun nagsayang nanaman ng pick ang bulls, pero now, hinrich can pretty much hold his own against anyone in the NBA. Heck even if luke ridnour has mediocre talent and yet he got invited to try out in the USA Basketball team.

Morrison on the otherhand, as early as now I hear "Keith Van Horn, Mike Dunleavy heir apparent"

[ILuvDetailing]

Kirk Hinrich played some point guard in Kansas, Ridnour is a true point guard but still struggles guarding against bigger and or more athletic PGs, they have the ball handling , passing, and playmaking skills to excell in the NBA. I saw some of Riddicks games on cable, he's purely a jump shooter, he can shoot it a bit off the dribble - however put a quick athletic defender on him, he struggles. I don't see him creating for others which is key if he wants to succeed in the next level.

How Ridnour or Riddick was selected over AI is beyond me.

[totoybato]

sorry kung OT, nabasa ko lang dun sa website naming mga taga pangasinan, JJ Redick's lolo or lola is a pangasinense

From: Reddick Family
Town_City:
Email:
To: Delos Santos Family
Remote Name: 207.200.116.67
Date: Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Message

Don't forget to watch the NCAA Basketball tournament. Your grandson is playing for Duke. ( copied from message board of pangasinan.org)

[ILuvDetailing]

ayos, may dugong pinoy pala si JJ go Duke! hehe

A Florida - LSU final should be a dandy, they both have strong front court tandems.

[flakez]

kaya pala trip ko yang si reddick eh! go reddick! hehehe.
last year na ba niya sa ncaa?

[chua_riwap]

Aba.......Panggalatok pala si JJ Reddick? Sayang, wala sila sa Final 4.

[Devastator]

Florida is the 2006 NCAA Nat'l Champions.

From: http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/news?s...v=ap&type=lgns

Florida 73, UCLA 57

By EDDIE PELLS, AP National Writer
April 4, 2006

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- There go the Florida Gators again, runnin' it up on their way to a national championship.

In basketball, believe it or not. Against UCLA, of all teams.

And with a tennis player's son as the star.

Joakim Noah dominated the Bruins on Monday night with 16 points, nine rebounds and a record six blocks to key a 73-57 blowout for Florida's first title in that other sport.

"It's like I'm in a cloud," Noah said. "Not only does this feel good, but it smells good and it tastes good. I can't even describe it."

The Gators and all their fans would certainly agree, especially after watching this runaway -- a pick-your-score kind of game that was decided early.

Many thought it couldn't be done 10 years ago when Billy Donovan took over a basketball program that lived well in the shadows of Steve Spurrier's brash, high-flying football juggernaut. Now, Spurrier is long gone and the Gators have as many national championships in hoops as they do in football.

"It's undescribable," said Noah, who now will decide whether to turn pro, "better than I've ever felt in my life."

For 40 lopsided minutes, the Gators (33-6) were too big, too long and too quick for UCLA, which came up a win short of its 12th national title on a night when 95-year-old former coach John Wooden watched from a hospital bed in LA. He was admitted for an undisclosed illness that was said not to be serious, but the Bruins didn't try to use that distraction as an excuse.

"Our heart and everything we do on the floor is always a tribute to him, whether he's healthy or not," UCLA guard Arron Afflalo said.

Florida and Noah, voted most outstanding player in the Final Four, won by putting on a thorough display of versatility and unselfishness, a trademark of this team all season.

Lee Humphrey added 15 points, Al Horford 14 and Corey Brewer 11 for Florida.

UCLA (32-7) was on a defensive tear coming into the championship game, shutting down LSU's Glen "Big Baby" Davis in the semifinals and allowing a total of 90 points in the last two games. Florida, though, was just too much to handle.

The Gators ran to a double-digit lead early and staved off every UCLA run.

Noah capped it off with a monster dunk with 1:09 left. When the buzzer sounded, he lay flat on his back at halfcourt and let the confetti rain on him. His teammates were in a pile a few feet away and Donovan was sharing hugs with his longtime assistant Anthony Grant.

The Gators won this by taking it right to UCLA early, looking inside to Noah, Brewer, Horford and senior Adrian Moss. Unafraid to make the extra pass, even in traffic down low, they finished with 21 assists, eight by point guard Taurean Green. More impressively, 10 came from their frontcourt.

It couldn't have been what UCLA coach Ben Howland expected after Florida's 73-58 win over George Mason in the semis, a game the Gators won from outside and that Humphrey ended early in the second with three straight 3s.

The scrappy Humphrey, the lone junior in a starting lineup full of sophomores, did the honors again in this one, spotting up for open looks against a collapsing defense early in the second half.

His first 3, 80 seconds into the half, gave Florida a 39-25 lead and forced Howland to call timeout. A sloppy offensive possession ensued, then Humphrey came back with another 3.

After Ryan Hollins' dunk, one of the few easy baskets for the Bruins, Brewer hit a 3 to make it 45-27 and prompt yet another Bruins TO.

There was no strategy to stop Noah. The 6-foot-11 forward dunked, swatted shots and dominated the game much like his dad did during his magical run to the French Open title in 1983.

Noah shot 7-for-9 and also had three assists and a steal. When it was over, the kid ran to the stands to try to find his family.

"I'm so happy," Yannick Noah said, wiping away tears from behind his sunglasses. "I'm so happy for him, but also for all of his friends. They deserve it. It's a beautiful story."

Noah had five blocks by halftime, already one better than the NCAA championship game record set by Arizona's Loren Woods in 2001, and he finished with 29 for the tournament, shattering Woods' record by five.

Noah altered plenty of shots, too -- enough that UCLA big men Hollins, Lorenzo Mata and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute looked covered underneath even when they weren't. That's what happens when you're facing an intimidating inside presence, and Noah was certainly that.

"Defensively, he's just long," Afflalo said. "You know, he has the ability to change shots if he's not blocking them. He plays with a lot of energy."

His final block came with about 5 minutes left after the Bruins had cut a 20-point deficit to 12. Hollins tried to take it strong as a last-gasp effort to get back in the game. Noah stuffed the shot, grabbed the rebound and stood there calmly waiting for things to clear.

About two minutes later, Florida was back up by 16 and those Gator chomps were starting in earnest all around the RCA Dome.

UCLA had all the history behind it, and a pretty good team, to boot. The Bruins just didn't have enough. Farmar, who chose UCLA over Florida, was their only scoring threat. He finished with 18 points. His backcourt mate, Afflalo, finished with 10, but was shut out in the first half, while this game was getting away.

Florida is still 10 titles behind UCLA, but this was one that should quiet the diehards who said it couldn't be done in Gainesville.

Donovan did it while his old coach at Providence, Rick Pitino, watched from the stands, wearing an orange tie. It was Pitino, now at Louisville, who 10 years ago urged Donovan not to take the Florida job, fearing the commitment simply wasn't there. He wasn't alone. Not even Florida's previous coach, Lon Kruger, said the Gators could sustain in basketball the way they did in football -- and Kruger had taken them to the Final Four a few years earlier.

Turns out, there's plenty of money, talent and support to make Florida's "other" program run.

"I said Billy, `They don't have any players. If the AD isn't patient, it'll be a death trap for you,"' Pitino said.

The patience paid off.

"He coached almost the perfect game tonight, offensively and defensively," Pitino said.

It wasn't hard with this group of players.

Humphrey ended up with 10 3-pointers during this Final Four and found himself open for most of them.

Horford had seven rebounds and two blocks, and Brewer had seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Moss, the only senior on the roster, had nine points and six rebounds off the bench, almost all in the first half.

Four years ago, he was considered a star of the future. Instead, he was really a very nice piece of a bigger puzzle -- a puzzle Donovan put together.

"Our faculty rep said to me before the game that when you start with something from scratch and you build it up to win a championship, that's something special," Donovan said.