NCAA Tournament Day 2 – West Region

The higher seeds were victorious on Day 2 in the West Region

(1) Arizona over (16) Weber State 68-59

This one was a little closer than it should have been. Weber State jumped out to a 10-2 lead early before Arizona took control, leading by 12 at halftime. In the second half Arizona pushed the lead out to 21; Weber State would make up some ground, cutting the deficit to seven with 19 seconds to go. Obviously not enough time remained, and the Wildcats would advance. Aaron Gordon had a strong all around performance, scoring 16 points on 7-11 shooting, adding eight rebounds, five blocks, and three assists. Considered a possible top ten pick, Gordon could solidify that draft position if he continues to put in performances like today’s. Special shout out to Weber State’s Joel Bolomboy (pronounced “Ball-um-boy”) for totaling 16 rebounds and having possibly the best last name of any player in the tournament.

(3) Creighton over (14) Louisiana-Lafayette 76-66

I have Creighton in my final four. Probably not the best selection, but the Blue Jays proved tough enough to win over an aggressive LA-Lafayette team (featuring 6’6”, 325 pound J.J. Davenport). Creighton saw a strong outing from star man Doug McDermott, who finished with 30 points on 13-23, and 12 rebounds. There’s talk McDermott could be a mid to late lottery pick, and this performance will bode well for that. Austin Chapman added 16 for the Blue Jays, who will face Baylor on Sunday.

(6) Baylor over (11) Nebraska 74-60

Speaking of Baylor, the Bears used a strong first half to build a sizable lead over Nebraska, and while the second half had a combined 89 points scored between both teams Baylor kept the game out of reach. Isaiah Austin had a solid outing, scoring 13 points (1-1 from three point range), and grabbing 7 rebounds. A 68 percent free throw shooter, Austin made 8-10 from the line. Currently listed as a second round pick by DraftExpress, this is a good start for Austin. Terran Petteway lead Nebraska in scoring with 18, and while the team shot 42 percent from the field they struggled from the behind the arc, shooting 19 percent on 4-21.

(8) Gonzaga over (9) Oklahoma State 85-77

With 61 fouls committed between both teams, no one deserved the frustration of sitting through this matchup. Kevin Pangos came up big for the Zags, scoring 26 points (making 12-14 from the free throw line). Gonzaga lead by nine at halftime, and while they failed more than once to pull away, Oklahoma State couldn’t quite get back into the game. Marcus Smart had a impressive game for the most part, scoring 23 points (albeit on 5-14 shooting), 13 rebounds, and seven assists. Six turnovers and foul trouble will dampen the performance a bit, but his potentially last college game will end with a positive individual performance.