“It’s so ridiculous to see a golfer with a one foot putt and everybody is saying “Shhh” and not moving a muscle. Then we allow nineteen year-old kids to face a game-deciding free throw with seventeen thousand people yelling.”

Al McGuire

Tonight’s commentary will be short and sweet…I think. Or maybe just short.

Tournament Trends

As we near the Final Four, I am noticing a few trends emerging in this year’s tournament.

• Poor Free Throw Shooting – How many teams have taken themselves out of contention by virtue of dreadful free throw shooting? Oregon State is the latest offender, shooting a dreadful 11-20 for 55% from the line. May I draw your attention to Houston’s margin of victory, six points. If you want to beat a team like Houston that plays such smothering defense, you have to be able to make the one shot where they aren’t allowed to guard you. The Beavers’ furious second half comeback attempt was thwarted in no small way by their inability to make Houston pay when they drew fouls. And speaking of fouls…
• Offensive Foul Calls – Is it just me, or is every officiating crew simply in love with the charge call this tournament? I don’t have any data to prove it, per se, but it just seems to me that we are seeing a disproportionate number of block/charge calls go the way of the charge. Of particular note this evening was the offensive foul called on Arkansas’ J.D. Notae with 13:38 to go in the game. It was his fifth foul, resulting in his disqualification. All such calls are judgment calls, and when I watched the replay, it appeared to me that J.D. was already in the air as the defender slid into his defensive position. Again, it is a judgment call, and Notae took a big risk forcing the official to make that call so early in the game with four fouls on his ledger already.
• Traveling Not Called – Basketball has been trending this direction for years, and while college has generally been better about enforcing it than the NBA, let’s just say that I’ve noticed a whole lot of walkin’ goin’ on.
• Chin Straps – Oh, wait. Those are masks.

Quick Game Notes

• While Oregon State failed in its bid to make history as the first ever 12 seed to make a Final Four, both Houston and Baylor advanced for the first time in a long time. Baylor’s last trip was in 1950, yes, 71 years ago, while Houston’s last appearance was in 1984.
• As noted in yesterday’s commentary, Houston became the first team ever to advance to the Final Four by beating four double-digit seeds.
• Houston had 19 offensive rebounds to Oregon State’s 7. These opportunities at second chance points were a key to their victory. Houston also held the Beavers to just 17 points in the first half.
• Baylor shot a blistering 53% from three point range compared to 27% for Arkansas. The Razorbacks went through an ill-timed scoring drought in the second half where they missed ten consecutive shots after tying the game at 55.

A Special Award

I have only one very special award to hand out tonight, but have no fear. Tomorrow I will be handing out the traditional region-by-region awards, along with a few others.

Tonight’s Top Nonagenarian award goes to Dotty “Ggma” Charlson, a long-time contestant, who celebrated her 90th birthday this evening (which will be yesterday by the time you read this). Grandma Dotty is doing quite well this year, sitting in 153rd place and getting both games right tonight, albeit with a re-pick for Houston. I won’t reveal my sources as to how I know about her special day, but it might have been one of her several loving family members also in the contest: Bill “Wazoo Spike” Spyksma, Nancy Spyksma, Alyssa Regan, or Elianna Regan. Happy birthday to you, Grandma Dotty, and may there be many more to come!

Until tomorrow night, minions, GO ZAGS!