Southern Cal rallies to beat Providence in First Four

By MITCH STACY

Associated Press

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Beaten by Providence by one point in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament last year, Southern Cal exacted revenge in a rematch Wednesday night.

Bennie Boatwright scored a career-high 24 points as the Trojans rallied from a 17-point deficit in the second half to beat Providence 75-71 in a First Four game.

"It does feel good getting payback from last year, because that was a tough loss," Boatwright said.

Southern Cal, the No. 11 seed, moves on to play No. 6 seed SMU in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Friday. It will be the second meeting of the season for the teams after USC prevailed 78-73 on Nov. 25. Southern Cal is 5-1 all-time against SMU.

After Providence (20-13) led by 15 points at halftime and went up by 17 to start the second half, Southern Cal (25-9) mounted a furious rally. The Trojans closed it to five points at the 10-minute mark, and went up 61-60 on a jumper by Chimezie Metu off a turnover with 6:46 left .

Metu hit both ends of a 1-and-1 to put Southern Cal up 71-64 with 1:23 remaining and kept Providence from getting momentum down the stretch.

"I think we just got out-toughed in the second half," Providence guard Jalen Lindsey said. "We weren't playing with the same passion we were in the first half, and it showed. And they executed their game plan and we kind of faltered back."

Jordan McLaughlin scored 18 points for Southern Cal, and Metu added 15 on 9-for-12 free throw shooting.

Emmitt Holt led Providence with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Lindsey and Rodney Bullock added 17 each.

The comeback was Southern Cal's 12th this season of at last 10 points, the most in the nation.

Providence outshot Southern Cal 49 percent to 42 percent, but the Trojans outscored them in the second half 46-27.

"I thought we got lazy defensively in the second half, and I was really shocked at that given the time and score of this game," Providence coach Ed Cooley said.

BIG PICTURE:

Providence: Had the game well in hand but went cold in the second half and let Southern Cal muscle back into it.

Southern Cal: An energetic second-half comeback gives the Trojans some buoyancy and momentum as they move into the field of 64. And they know they can beat SMU.

LOOKING TO TULSA

USC coach Andy Enfield saw enough of SMU in November to know the Trojans have their work cut out for them on Friday.

"They're a terrific basketball team," he said of the Mustangs, who have won 16 straight. "They have five guys in their starting lineup that are similar to Providence. They're big, they're long, they're very skilled."

McLaughlin said Southern Cal showed it belongs in the tournament.

"Our coaches, they have confidence in us, we have confidence in ourselves," he said. "And we know when we're playing like we did the second half that we're able to compete with anybody. And it's just a matter of us just bringing the energy and knocking down shots and just competing all the way to the end."

BLOWOUT ALERT

The game looked like a rout in the making at halftime. Providence took a 44-29 lead on the strength of a 15-0 run punctuated by two 3-pointers by Bullock and another from Lindsey, who had 15 points in the first half. The Friars were 8 for 15 from 3-point range in the first half.

Southern Cal had just three field goals in the last 11 minutes of the half, and went without one in the last 4 1/2 minutes of the frame with Providence ripping off a 12-3 run in that span.

The second-half comeback included two 8-0 runs by the Trojans.

UP NEXT:

Southern Cal: Plays 6th-seeded SMU in the first round of the East Regional in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Friday.

UC Davis beats NC Central in First Four 67-63

By MITCH STACY

Associated Press

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — UC Davis overcame 18 turnovers and rallied in the second half to win its first ever NCAA Tournament game, beating a North Carolina Central team whose poor shooting ensured it would be one-and-done.

Chima Moneke had 18 points and 12 rebounds as 16th-seeded UC Davis (25-9) won 67-63 in a First Four game on Wednesday night to earn a trip to Tulsa to play No. 1 seed Kansas on Friday.

"I feel like I'm a confident player, and I got it going early," Moneke said. "And I like the matchup that I had. And you know, my teammates were doing a great job of moving the ball, and I felt that if we continued to do that, I would put us in a successful position to score most of the time."

Down by three points at halftime, the Aggies went on an 11-2 run to start the second half, and led by as many as nine before streaky North Carolina Central (25-9) forced some turnovers and chipped away at the lead.

The Eagles pulled within 64-63 with 1:49 left in the game on a 3-pointer by Dajuan Graf. They got the ball back with 37 seconds left, but another 3-point try by Graf was off the mark. Graf had to foul Lawrence White, who made two free throws with 16 seconds remaining to give the Eagles some breathing room. Brynton Lemar hit a foul shot with 4 seconds left to put it away.

"We had guys, mentally they just weren't there," North Carolina Central coach LeVelle Moton said. "And they got in their feelings and their emotions a little bit, and they busted us in the mouth. And I think we gathered ourselves and obviously we made the switch to the 1-3-1 and caused some turnovers and got us back in."

Lemar scored 15 points and White added 14 for UC Davis, which had earned a trip to the tournament by winning the Big West Conference Tournament.

UC Davis came out and grabbed momentum on two rim-rattling dunks by Moneke and led by as many as nine points in the first half before N.C. Central could get its feet. The Eagles stormed back with a 16-3 run and led 34-31 at halftime, thanks in part to nine UC Davis turnovers.

UC Davis had an 11-2 run in the second half, and North Carolina Central was just 1 of 9 from the field during that stretch.

"Our guys grew up as little hoopers dreaming about playing and having this opportunity," UC Davis coach Jim Les said. "And so it's special to be here. And we're just going to continue to fight, to keep this story going."

BIG PICTURE:

UC Davis: Won despite some sloppy ball-handling. The turnover-prone Aggies will have to tighten it up to have a chance against Kansas.

North Carolina Central: Poor shooting doomed the Eagles, especially when the game got close down the stretch. With five seniors starting, the window may be closing on their hopes to get any deeper in the tournament.

BRICK CITY:

North Carolina Central shot only 36 percent for the game, and was just 10 of 35 in the second half. The Eagles converted only 5 of 26 3-point attempts.

Graf paced North Carolina Central with 15 points. Kyle Benton and Patrick Cole added 13 each.

"We missed too many layups," Moton said. "And I told the guys at the beginning of the season: Your season is going to come down to one possession. And you got to capitalize when you get that opportunity."

WHY NOT US?:

Moneke doesn't see a reason UC Davis couldn't be the first 16 seed to knock off a No. 1 seed.

"It's going to happen eventually, that's how I look at it," he said. "And we all can play at this level. And you know, I don't fear anybody, but I respect everybody and I feel like the way we play defense we can make any game a game. And if we play the way we've been playing the past few weeks, then we definitely can do that."

UP NEXT:

UC Davis: Plays No. 1 seed Kansas on Friday in Tulsa.

Balanced K-State beats Wake Forest 95-88 in First Four

By JOE KAY
Associated Press

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — After finally making it into the NCAA Tournament with its offensive balance, Kansas State showcased its array of scorers in the First Four.

Kamau Stokes scored 19 of his 22 points in the second half of a wide-open game on Tuesday night, and the Wildcats' versatility was the difference as they pulled away to a 95-88 victory over Wake Forest.

Eleventh-seeded K-State (21-13) got its first NCAA Tournament win in five years and a trip to play No. 6 Cincinnati on Friday in Sacramento as part of the South Regional. The Bearcats are known for their tight defense.

"It's a good matchup for us," said Wesley Iwundu , who had 24 points. "You know they're a tough team, but we're down for any challenge. We're the underdogs now but we like being the underdogs."

In a matchup of two versatile offenses, the Wildcats had the most options and hot shooters. Four players finished in double figures — their season norm — as the Wildcats shot a season-high 66 percent from the field against a team they had never faced.

"Now you're playing somebody new and maybe you can get some of the little looks that you haven't gotten in probably like the last six weeks," coach Bruce Weber said.

Stokes missed three of his four shots in the first half, but found his touch right away after the break, hitting a pair of quick 3s.

"I think he just needed to shake off his jitters in the first NCAA Tournament game," Iwundu said. "But in the second half, he got back to doing what he does best, hitting some big shots."

Wake Forest (19-14 ) couldn't keep up during its first NCAA Tournament game in seven years. The Demon Deacons scored 90 points nine times during the season, but couldn't match the Wildcats.

"We came close and then we let them build another lead," said John Collins, who had 26 points and nine rebounds. "So I think it was kind of a trend."

It was a breakthrough season for the Demon Deacons in coach Danny Manning's third season. He led Kansas to the 1988 national championship — Danny and The Miracles, as they're known — by beating K-State along the way. And now he had the Demon Deacons back in the tournament for the first time in seven years.

"For us, it's been a long, eventful season," Manning said.

BIG PICTURE

Kansas State: The Wildcats repeatedly made clutch shots to hold onto the lead down the stretch. After falling behind by 10 points, Wake Forest got the lead within three points 11 times, but K-State always matched it. The Demon Deacons overcame double-digit deficits to win their last three regular-season games, but couldn't do it in the tournament.

Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons shot only 36 percent from the field in the first half and had more turnovers (nine) than field goals (eight), forcing them to play from behind.

WHERE'S THE DEFENSE?

Both teams went through long stretches without missing a shot in the second half. Kansas State made its first five shots and six of seven, while Wake Forest made seven in a row over one stretch. Many of the shots were wide-open.

GETTING TO THE LINE

The teams combined for 51 fouls and 68 free throws, with things working out almost evenly. Kansas State went 27 of 36 from the line, while Wake Forest was 29 of 32. K-State's 27 points off free throws were a season high.

UP NEXT

Kansas State: The Wildcats will try to win two NCAA Tournament games for the first time since 2010, when they lost to Butler in a regional final.

Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons return the bulk of one of the youngest teams in the tournament, including three sophomore starters and one junior.

Mount St. Mary's beats New Orleans 67-66 to open First Four

By JOE KAY
Associated Press

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Diminutive point guard Junior Robinson fearlessly dribbled into the heart of New Orleans' defense, pulled up and hit yet another of his oh-so-soft jumpers. This one decided a frenetic opening game for the NCAA Tournament.

The smallest player in Division I scored 23 points Tuesday night, including that go-ahead jumper with 1:27 to play, and Mount St. Mary's held on for a 67-66 victory over New Orleans in the First Four.

Robinson carried the Mountaineers (20-15) to only their second NCAA Tournament win, making jumpers with so much arc they appeared to tease the ceiling.

"The way he plays out there — his speed, his athleticism — it's just so special," coach Jamion Christian said. "When you're a smaller guy, you're naturally going to have a chip on your shoulder and you want to go out there and show the world the things you can do."

The Mountaineers will head to Buffalo to play defending national champion and top overall seed Villanova in the East Regional on Thursday. They had a charter flight waiting after the game.

"It's a dream come true," guard Elijah Long said. "But this is March Madness, and this is part of the madness."

Mount St. Mary's led most of the way, but New Orleans (20-12) pulled off a comeback befitting its resurgent season. The Privateers had a chance for a final shot, but Erik Thomas' inbound pass with 2.6 seconds left was off target and stolen by the Mountaineers' Chris Wray.

The Privateers' tournament appearance was part of a huge turnaround for the school, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. They went 10-20 last season, but won the Southland's regular season and tournament titles for the first time in school history.

Their final comeback came up short.

After trailing by as many as 11 in the first half and nine in the second, they briefly took a 64-63 lead on Christavious Gill's free throws with 1:48 left. Robinson responded with his soft jumper, and the Mountaineers held on.

"We started the engine on the car, and now the car is moving," said Nate Frye, who led New Orleans with 18 points. "We've got to pick up speed and keep building off what we did this year. We established the building blocks of what was broken down from Katrina."

COOL IT

New Orleans forward Travin Thibodeaux and Gill had to be separated by a coach during a timeout with 6:36 left in the game.

Thibodeaux was called for a 3-second violation and complained to Gill as they headed to the bench. They exchanged words, and Gill pushed the forward away. Thibodeaux appeared to wrap his arm around the point guard's neck as they were separated.

Thibodeaux was benched the rest of the way. He finished with 11 points.

"Unfortunately, it will take away a little bit from the experience of the game and how great of an experience this was for us," coach Mark Slessinger said.

BIG PICTURE

Mount St. Mary's: The Mountaineers wear warmup shirts with "Mayhem" on the back, reminding them of their pressure defense. They forced 14 turnovers that set up 19 points.

New Orleans: The Privateers' offense was unbalanced. They scored 42 points in the paint, taking care of their advantage on the front line, but were only 1 of 9 from beyond the arc.

UP NEXT

Mount St. Mary's: The Mountaineers will be trying to pull off the first upset of a top seed by a No. 16 seed when they face Villanova.

New Orleans: The Privateers are 1-5 all-time in the tournament. They lose three senior starters: Tevin Broyles, Gill and Erik Thomas.

Chris Chase: The NCAA tournament’s First Four is a joke and one of the worst events in sports

We found this article to be "interesting." It was written by Chris Chase of FOX Sports, and it definitely captures his negative opinion of the 'First Four.' Read it below!

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The NCAA tournament is one of the greatest events in sports which makes it all the more disappointing and peculiar that it’s preceded by one of the worst.

On Tuesday and Wednesday night in Dayton, eight college basketball teams that ostensibly made it into the NCAA tournament field will play for the right to actually make the NCAA tournament field. It’s part of a sports travesty called the First Four, a made-for-TV set of four play-in games that exist solely to give the NCAA two additional nights of faux tournament action. Those eight hours of basketball come at the expense of the four losing teams, who miss out on the real tournament experience – one of the great egalitarian meritocracies in sports.

These games – which feature two No. 16 games (N.C. Central vs. UC Davis and Mount St. Mary’s vs. New Orleans) and two games featuring the last four at-large teams into the field (Wake Forest vs. Kansas State and Providence vs. USC) are a part of the tournament in technicality only. The real NCAA tournament starts Thursday at noon ET and is a whirlwind of 32 games in 36 hours, each of which has the potential to make teams and players instantly famous. The First Four is the jayvee game, playing for the chance to play for that chance.

Despite what the NCAA likes to tell us, the First Four is not the NCAA tournament. They know this, which is why the suits in Indianapolis attempted to call the First Four the “first round” for years, turning the traditional first round into the “second round” and the traditional second round into the newly-created “third round.” It was a joke and a mess; even media couldn’t get the designations straight and the new labels made historical comparisons unwieldy and impossible. Nobody was fooled.

The argument defending the First Four tends to go something like this: Isn’t it better to have the stage to yourself on Tuesday or Wednesday night rather than getting lost in the shuffle by serving as cannon fodder for North Carolina and Kansas on Thursday or Friday when there are four games going on at once? Playing a stand-alone game is far more exciting for these kids. And if you’re worried that two No. 16 seeds won’t get a chance to pull a David and Goliath upset, it’s overblown. If either of those teams were capable of beating Villanova or KU they wouldn’t have lost in Dayton, right?

The last part of that is preposterous. A No. 16 seed is never expected to beat a No. 1, so losing a game clearly wouldn’t preclude such a shocker. It’s the “any given Sunday” theory. The ultimate underdogs deserve that chance. Winning the conference championship is the carrot for players at a vast majority of the 351 Division I schools, the thing they think about every moment from October to March. Then, when they reach their goal, hoist their conference trophy and get into the NCAA tournament, they’re quickly told – hold on, you’ve gotta win one more game.

Tell that to UC Davis, making its first tournament ever after decades playing in DII, or North Carolina Central, in the field of 64 68 for the second time in history. How does it feel for New Orleans, a school that almost moved to DIII after Hurricane Katrina, then fought its way back and is dancing for the first time in 21 years and just the fifth time ever – the same number of appearances as opponent Mount St. Mary’s. Why? For what?

There’s less sympathy for the at-large teams, each of which play in a major conference and could have worked their way out of the play-in games with another win in their conference tournament or any other time. Their situation is no less ridiculous but it’s not fundamentally unfair.

In the end though, we’re fortunate to have the First Four. It’s the lesser of two evils. When the tournament’s TV rights were up for bid in 2010, it was widely assumed the NCAA would expand March Madness to 96 team$$$, a horrible idea that would have created more than a dozen meaningless opening games, watered down the regular season, turned the tournament from entirely must-see into partially can-miss (like weekday football) and, most importantly of all, would have ruined brackets and tournament pools as we know it. (You try to fit 96 teams onto a piece of paper or get everybody to fill out their brackets in the 12 hours between the end of the play-in games and the start of the regular first round.)

It was eventually decided that the tournament would bump to 68 teams instead and the four play-ins were the consolation. Lame, yes, but a whole lot better than watching 6-12 ACC teams battle mid-majors who didn’t beat a team non-conference team in the top 150.

Since the genie is out of the bottle and things never go backwards in sports, it’s too much to hope that we’ll ever see 64 teams again. But how about making the First Four all at-large teams?  It would create a new bubble for teams squarely inside the bubble (the goal: don’t get stuck in the play-in games), would get rid of the low-rated No. 16 games (the two at-large games generally double the ratings of the No. 16 showdowns) and would create more controversy on Selection Sunday, which is always good for business.

It won’t happen. The big boys won’t stand for it. Nothing is changing and it’s shame.

One day, a No. 16 seed is going to upset a No. 1 seed. It’s the dream of every player at every small school in the country. And each March, two teams that win their way into the tournament are denied the chance of realizing that dream of becoming tournament immortals, all because the NCAA wanted a few more dollars for its overflowing coffers.