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That’s right folks, we’re back again for another round of live-updates/open threads. It seems the consensus feeling for yesterday’s games was one of boredom and little-to-no surprise. That may be the case, but excuse me, it was the first day of the NCAA Tournament.

That is NEVER boring.

While yes, there were a lot of chalk teams advancing, that doesn’t diminish a successful tournament. As much as we want upsets and Cinderellas, they aren’t the key ingredient to a good Dance. Good games are. Games like West Virginia/Arizona, Kentucky/Marquette, Duke/Belmont and USC/K-State.

That’s four good games, plenty for a “good day.” Anyway, during today’s first stanza, we have Tennessee/American, Gonzaga/Davidson, Miami/St Mary’s, and Drake/Western Kentucky. I’m willing to bet one of these will be entertaining.

11:22 - Tennessee/American gets us started today. After that, KC is switching to the Drake/WKU game. These are the two games I’ll be paying the most attention to.

Yay, our first Coke Zero commercial of the day… although, no CBS nag screen yet. Oh well, the day is early.

11:30 - American is on a 9-2 run and is out-rebounding the Vols something like 11-2. Is Tennessee already reverting to the tournament Vols? You know, no regional finals in like a million years?

And KC switches to WKU/Drake.

11:39 - Annnnnnnnd, we get our first nag screen. Good God. Anyway, the Vols are still being out-rebounded. American has 9 offensive rebounds. UT has none. Western Kentucky/Drake looks like the best match-up of the first stanza, although, Davidson is tied with Gonzaga.

Winning streaks are hard to let go, apparently.

11:45 - Drake is an exceptional outside shooting team. They are going to give their entire bracket trouble if they shoot like this…

And, Western Kentucky answers with back-to-back 3s of their own. Of course, these were sandwiched by a Klayton Korver 3 for Drake. Both teams have combined for six 3-pointers… and there’s 11 minutes left in the first.

11:50 - UT’s being out-rebounded on the offensive glass, 11-2. I guess Bruce Peal forgot to tell his team it is indeed March… or maybe, Arkansas took some of their heart. We’ll see.

11:52 - Somebody please remind Miami and St Mary’s the goal of basketball is to get the orange ball through the orange hoop. The one with the net attached to it.

12:05 - I imagine the brilliant folks at Losers with Socks will blame SI, but Tennessee looks like poo right now. I envision a blistering halftime sermon from Coach Pearl.

12:15 - WKU/Drake is going to be the best game of the first block. Unless Tennessee doesn’t wake up that is. An upset of a two-seed always trumps an entertaining mid-seed game. However, I’m missing too much of the Davidson/Zags game.

So what wins here? A potential two-seed falling or good, mid-major basketball?

12:20 - The Hilltoppers are shooting 20-32 for the 1st half. That’s 62% for those scoring at home. And, they haven’t shot a free throw yet.

Meanwhile, Drake has shot 16. Coincidence?

12:30 - Something happened to Tennessee between the Arkansas game and today. The longer they go on like this, the more confidence American gets… and God help them — and UT fans — if American starts bombing 3s.

12:40 - Three nag screens now. Damn you, CBS. This had better not happen on a Bryce Drew moment.

12:50 - Stephen Curry for Davidson (Dell’s son — h/t, Xavier) already has 21 points for Davidson. They are hanging around and St. Mary’s and Miami are in a Big Ten-like slugfest.

1:00 - Make that 27. UT gets up by 10 and promptly gives up a 3 and doesn’t convert on the next possession. Apparently, all the 2 seeds are going to struggle.

And American hit another 3. The Vols are going to have to earn this one and that’s sad…

1:02 - And another but JaJuan Smith answers with one of his own. UT cannot get rid of this team.

Davidson is tied with the Zags. Close game day, apparently.

1:05 - Wayne Chism is carrying Tennessee in the second half. Chris Lofton has apparently left the building.

1:10 - Western Kentucky says f*** that to close game day. They are smacking Drake around. Meanwhile, Stephen Curry is having a game we will be talking about for a while… if Davidson actually holds on.

34 for Curry. 7-10 from behind the arc. Whoa. Apparently, shooting is a genetic trait.

1:20 - 22 3-pointers between the Zags and Davidson… and they shooting over 50% combined from behind the arc. 22-40.

1:22 - In other news, that DIRECTV/Ultimate Hook-up woman is hot. Very hot. And the dude in the Motorhead/AT&T commercial is terrible at pool.

1:26 - Curry with 37. Words fail me. Damn, he can shoot.

This just in, he has 27 of Davidson’s 41 second half points.

1:30 - Apparently, Tennessee found themselves and OMIGOD, did you see Adam Morrison’s hair?!?!?!? In the meantime, Western is trying to hold on against Drake… I see why old-school coaches hate the 3-pointer.

1:35 - Davidson is going to win and Stephen Curry is going to finish with 40 points. Welcome to NCAA immortality, kid. Oh yeah, 30 in the second half.

1:40 - And Western Kentucky is trying to hold on. 7 point lead with 2 minutes… Damn, what a big dunk from Leonard Houston. Goodness. Apparently, the Hilltoppers want to give this game away.

Did anyone notice if Adam Morrison cried?

1:47 - Flops R Us is in effect. Oh look, our first overtime of the tournament. Nice goin’ Toppers.

2:00 - WHY IN THE HELL DID WESTERN KENTUCKY FOUL THERE??????????

2:02 - After that stupid foul, Boris Siakam redeems himself by hitting 2 free throws. WKU by 1 but Drake has the ball with 21 seconds left. I have a feeling Drake will win it w/a 3.

2:04 - Nope, but they can hit the go-ahead free throw after this timeout. 5.7 seconds left. Nice time to not get a defensive rebound, aye, Hilltoppers?

Meanwhile, I told you this would be the best game of the first stanza.

2:08 - OMFG, OMFG, OMFG, OMFG!!!!! TY ROGERS WITH A 3 TO WIN IT FOR WESTERN AS THE HORN SOUNDS!!!!!!!

2:10 - And to any Hurricanes fans that might have been reading, I apologize for the lack of coverage of the Miami/St Mary’s game. After a sluggish start, Miami pulled out an impressive 14-point victory over St. Mary’s, a team many picked to upset the Canes.

By the way, the final score in the Drake/Western Kentucky game was 101-99. That might be the best game of the day, if not the 1st round. Anyway, on to the second thread.

Tags: Final Four, First Round, March Madness, National Championship

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