NCAA Tournament Diary: Round 2

Thursday was a great example of why Syracuse is one of the
most vulnerable No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. Their
72-65 win over UNC Asheville aided by numerous poor calls
and a sloppy zone defense should be enough to make ‘Cuse
fans worried about Kansas State in their next game on
Saturday. The loss of Fab Melo hurts them, but the fact
that they can’t rebound or play as active as the Syracuse
zone defense we are used to will cause their early exit.

The number of charging calls this season has been at an
all-time high. But Thursday, it was all about lane
violations during free throws that drew the ire of fans
and media. I watch enough basketball to realize the
players that stand outside the three-point line often
cross over the line before the ball hits the rim with
nothing being called by officials. Why does that change in
the tournament? It changes because some officials are
egomaniacs and don’t understand time and score of games.
I’m a big believer in this. Officials should have enough
basketball IQ to understand when a call should be made or
not. They failed on the lane violation call in the UNC
Asheville-Syracuse game and made a blatant error in the
final minute on a ball clearly forced out of bounds by
Syracuse. The crew that had that game should be relegated
to high school freshman C league games for 90 years.

In regards to Gonzaga, I did multiple region previews but
failed to mention them. The 77-54 smackdown on West
Virginia was the most impressive of the 2nd round games.
Freshman guard Kevin Pangos led the Zags with 13 points
and 5 assists and is the perfect example of what Mark Few
has built at Gonzaga. He’s a player that is young, smart
and not afraid to take the big shot with the game on the
line. Look out for Gonzaga to wreck Ohio State if they
come out asleep. I love the Zags.

I’m amazed by what VCU continues to do. Their defensive
pressure is the perfect fit for the tournament because
teams can’t prepare for it and rarely see pressure as
athletic and intense as what VCU brings. Shaka Smart is an
example of a coach that needs to take the money and run.
Last year I considered him a flash in the pan, but this
year he’s proving he is here to stay. Plus, after knocking
out Kansas and Wichita State the past two years, he
clearly has something against the state of Kansas.

Say goodbye to Jim Calhoun. UConn lost 77-64 to Iowa State
in what is likely to be the coach’s last game on the
bench. Calhoun has battled back issues and missed a month
of the season dealing with them. At the age of 70, he’s at
the end of a memorable career that will no doubt be
remembered by his titles. UConn is a good job and if I’m
Athletic Director Warde Manuel I’d call Memphis coach Josh
Pastner and offer him the job in an effort to build for
another multi-decade run.

Follow @AZSports