Tyler Who?

We are composing this with 14 minutes left to go in the USC-UNC game so that we can have something to distract us until this game mercifully ends, one way or another. Carolina trips around the court in some sort of opiate daze while the Trojans score at will. It's a little disconcerting knowing that we may be seeing several underclassmen Heels in a light blue uniform for the last time.

Speaking of the Heels, even if you know very little about Carolina, you most certainly have seen Ramses, the ram mascot. Sadly, Jason Ray, who has worn the Ramses uniform for the past three years, has been seriously injured today as he was hit by a car near the hotel where the UNC team and cheerleaders are staying. He is in critical condition.

Enough about Carolina, what else happened today? Anything exciting? Upsetting? Worth watching?

Florida had to fight back from 9 down to Butler to win. Are they going to win it all though? Uh, no.

Georgetown also had a big problem tonight with Vandy as they showed they may be wearing down after making a huge run in the second half of the season. Credit the Hoyas, though, as they played the last 4 minutes without Roy Hibbert, who fouled out. We also like John Thompson III. He's a classy coach, just like his dad. And he's good.

With 2 minutes left, Oregon is up by 10. Go ahead and put the Ducks in the Great Eight Bracket.

So, when we started this blog, the Tar Heels were down by double digits with 14 minutes left. They are now up by 7 at the final TV timeout. This is a perfect example of why we are certain Carolina fans probably die at an earlier age than most people. This yanking back and forth is just too much for our hearts.

UNLV is trying to mount a little bitty run, but probably to no avail. They are still down 6 with a minute left. You never know...

But it wasn't to be. The Ducks fly into the Great Eight and play Florida.

And UNC wins by 10. How did that happen? No need for us to pop another nitro, but we'll keep it by the TV for the Georgetown game on Sunday.

And where was Tyler Hansbrough? 33 points against Michigan State and FIVE points and THREE rebounds tonight? Dude.

Saturday's games:

Ohio State(1) v. Memphis(2): this will be a game worth watching. OSU had to battle back yesterday to a very good Tennessee team, and Memphis will offer more of a challenge. The Tigers have won 25 in a row and are just damn confident. But, Memphis has the disadvantage in the backcourt. Oden looked mortal, though, in the UT game, despite blocking that last shot. The fact that Memphis plays in a weak conference doesn't mean a thing. If the Tigers can out-rebound the Buckeyes, and contain Conley and Lewis, then they win. We're going with Ohio State here, though. Oden bounces back and dominates, leaving Memphis no choice but to double and triple-team him, which, of course, opens up scoring opportunities for the OSU guards.

Footnote: Memphis' Joey Dorsey, who fouled out (and promptly took off his uniform to show off his ripped body) against Texas A&M, made another classy move today as he called Greg Oden "over-rated." Has Dorsey been locked in a closet all year, or is he just stupid?

Kansas(1) v. UCLA(2): Kansas can run-run-run. UCLA can defend-defend-defend. If this turns into a faced-paced game, give the Jayhawks the edge. A slow-down game could be a plus for the Bruins. UCLA also can claim home-court advantage as the game is in San Jose. Many pundits also say that Kansas has a deeper bench, but we don't agree. The keys to the game will be rebounding (the Jayhawks are bigger) and points beyond the arc. The Bruins can't afford to get into a 3-point shooting contest. Our call? We pick Kansas, but this will be a very close game.

Good to see Steve Alford in a new coaching position. He won't be as pressured to win it all each year at New Mexico State like he was in the Big Ten. And, because of that, he will win it all in the next 8-10 years.