March 15, 2043
The NCAA tournament selection committee gives us the top seed in the
East Region once again. North Carolina, Miami, and Syracuse round out the top four seeds in the East.
We're joined in the Final Four by Wyoming, Oklahoma, and Duke. The South Region, where Duke is joined by Tennessee and Georgetown, looks like the Group of Death this time.
March 19, 2043
NCAA East Region, First Round
Code:
(1) #1 Villanova 98, (16) Stephen F. Austin 73
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Stephen F. Austin (14-20, 4-10):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Keven Pilgrim C 36 2-5 0-0 1 9 1 1 4
Pedro Barner PF 34 5-14 0-1 2 5 2 1 10
Ahmed Harlan SF 34 3-10 4-6 2 5 2 4 11
Justin Jackson SG 32 4-12 0-0 1 2 5 1 9
James McAfee PG 34 7-15 7-8 1 2 2 1 27
José Herrera SG 12 1-1 5-6 0 3 1 1 7
Rusty Parker SF 5 0-1 2-2 0 1 1 0 2
Bennie Mohan SG 2 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 3
John Stoffel PF 8 0-1 0-0 1 3 0 1 0
Lino Moody C 2 0-2 0-0 1 1 1 0 0
Turnovers: 15 (K.Pilgrim 2, P.Barner 3, A.Harlan 3,
J.Jackson 2, J.McAfee 4, J.Herrera 1)
Blocked Shots: 6 (K.Pilgrim 4, A.Harlan 2)
Steals: 4 (P.Barner 1, A.Harlan 1, J.Jackson 1,
J.Herrera 1)
3P FGs: 9-26 (A.Harlan 1-3, J.Jackson 1-6, J.McAfee
6-12, R.Parker 0-1, B.Mohan 1-1, J.Stoffel 0-1,
L.Moody 0-2)
Villanova (30-3, 14-2):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Dan O'Halloran C 29 11-16 1-2 1 10 1 2 23
Forrest Curl PF 29 3-4 0-0 1 3 3 3 6
Israel Moody SF 17 2-7 2-2 2 6 2 3 6
Asaad Richardson SG 24 7-12 8-8 1 2 1 3 26
Kai Smith PG 20 6-10 0-0 1 3 8 4 15
Tyson Lien SG 26 1-2 0-0 0 5 7 2 2
Roman Holloway C 22 1-5 0-0 2 6 1 1 2
Weston Wagner SF 17 5-7 0-0 0 5 0 2 15
Scott McMasters PG 9 1-2 0-0 0 1 2 0 3
Immanuel Bahr PF 5 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0
Nick O'Brien SG 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0
Turnovers: 13 (D.O'Halloran 1, F.Curl 1, I.Moody 3,
A.Richardson 1, K.Smith 2, R.Holloway 3, S.McMasters 2)
Blocked Shots: 8 (D.O'Halloran 2, F.Curl 1, R.Holloway
2, W.Wagner 1, I.Bahr 2)
Steals: 9 (D.O'Halloran 2, F.Curl 1, I.Moody 1,
A.Richardson 1, K.Smith 2, T.Lien 1, I.Bahr 1)
3P FGs: 13-21 (A.Richardson 4-6, K.Smith 3-7, T.Lien
0-1, W.Wagner 5-5, S.McMasters 1-2)
Player of Game: C Dan O'Halloran (VLNV)
Dan O'Halloran, Asaad Richardson, and
Weston Wagner are the stars as we defeat the Lumberjacks.
I haven't said enough about how important Weston's contributions have become. He's produced several outstanding shooting performances off the bench, and we're using him in crucial situations more often.
Kai Smith's eight assists and two steals bring him just a bit closer to his milestones.
Record: 30-3.
March 21, 2043
NCAA East Region, Second Round
Code:
(1) #1 Villanova 83, (9) #25 Marshall 43
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Marshall (27-8, 15-3):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Frank Sasaki C 36 2-9 1-2 1 7 1 4 5
Rodya Zubov PF 33 0-4 0-0 1 5 2 3 0
Stephen Mumford SF 27 3-7 0-0 1 4 1 4 6
Weldon Hannan SG 29 4-8 1-2 0 2 0 4 12
Emmanuel Ward PG 33 2-7 0-0 0 0 2 1 5
H. McLaughlin SF 16 3-5 0-1 0 1 0 1 7
Billy Piotrowski SG 5 0-1 0-0 1 1 1 1 0
Terrance McAlpine SG 4 0-2 0-0 0 1 0 0 0
Jackson Gordon PG 6 2-4 1-2 0 0 0 2 6
Ben Stalker PF 10 1-1 0-0 1 3 0 2 2
Turnovers: 22 (F.Sasaki 1, R.Zubov 4, S.Mumford 2,
W.Hannan 7, E.Ward 4, H.McLaughlin 3, J.Gordon 1)
Blocked Shots: 4 (F.Sasaki 4)
Steals: 2 (S.Mumford 1, J.Gordon 1)
3P FGs: 6-19 (F.Sasaki 0-1, W.Hannan 3-6, E.Ward 1-4,
H.McLaughlin 1-3, T.McAlpine 0-2, J.Gordon 1-3)
Villanova (31-3, 14-2):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Dan O'Halloran C 32 4-10 9-11 3 6 1 2 17
Forrest Curl PF 28 4-7 0-0 1 8 1 1 8
Israel Moody SF 25 2-6 1-2 0 5 1 4 5
Asaad Richardson SG 28 5-8 3-4 3 5 2 1 16
Kai Smith PG 32 4-9 2-2 0 2 12 2 12
Tyson Lien SG 14 4-7 2-2 0 4 1 1 13
Roman Holloway C 19 1-1 2-2 1 7 0 1 4
Weston Wagner SF 10 2-3 1-2 1 1 1 1 6
Scott McMasters PG 5 0-0 1-2 0 0 2 0 1
Immanuel Bahr PF 5 0-1 1-2 1 1 0 1 1
Turnovers: 11 (D.O'Halloran 2, I.Moody 2, A.Richardson
3, K.Smith 1, T.Lien 2, I.Bahr 1)
Blocked Shots: 8 (D.O'Halloran 3, F.Curl 1, I.Moody 2,
R.Holloway 2)
Steals: 7 (I.Moody 1, K.Smith 4, T.Lien 1, R.Holloway 1)
3P FGs: 9-18 (A.Richardson 3-5, K.Smith 2-5, T.Lien
3-6, W.Wagner 1-2)
Player of Game: PG Kai Smith (VLNV)
Marshall's ranked Herd is the next opponent to fall, as we advance to the second weekend of the tournament.
No team in the nation forces as many turnovers as we do, and we harry the Herd into four more than our average opponent commits.
And
Kai Smith's composed, creative presence is on display once again. His four steals give him 339 for his career, bringing him into a tie for first place on the NCAA career list.
Wildcat fans, enjoy these moments with Kai while you can. There won't be many more.
Record: 31-3.
March 26, 2043
NCAA East Region Semifinal: the Sweet Sixteen
Code:
(1) #1 Villanova 76, (4) #18 Syracuse 59
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Syracuse (25-10, 10-6):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Alec Pedigo C 21 1-3 0-0 0 3 0 4 2
Guy Hubbard PF 29 6-12 0-2 3 3 0 4 12
Daniel Collings SF 24 1-4 0-2 0 5 0 5 2
Napoleon Luis SG 34 2-5 0-0 2 7 7 4 6
Rene Gonzalez PG 32 7-11 0-0 1 3 6 3 19
Vito Hope PF 16 2-3 0-0 1 4 1 1 4
David Pell SF 19 3-12 0-0 3 3 2 2 6
Charles Guertin PG 4 1-1 2-2 0 0 0 0 4
Emmerich Becker C 13 1-3 0-0 1 2 0 0 2
Martin Choate SF 2 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0
H. Schönbuchner PF 6 1-2 0-0 1 3 0 0 2
Turnovers: 22 (G.Hubbard 2, D.Collings 5, N.Luis 9,
R.Gonzalez 4, V.Hope 1, D.Pell 1)
Blocked Shots: 5 (G.Hubbard 3, E.Becker 2)
Steals: 3 (D.Collings 1, R.Gonzalez 1, D.Pell 1)
3P FGs: 7-18 (D.Collings 0-3, N.Luis 2-4, R.Gonzalez
5-6, D.Pell 0-5)
Villanova (32-3, 14-2):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Dan O'Halloran C 34 8-15 3-5 6 11 4 2 19
Forrest Curl PF 30 0-3 0-0 0 3 3 2 0
Israel Moody SF 31 7-17 6-8 1 3 2 2 20
Asaad Richardson SG 29 5-11 5-6 3 5 1 2 16
Kai Smith PG 30 1-2 0-0 2 4 8 2 2
Tyson Lien SG 15 1-4 0-0 0 0 2 0 2
Roman Holloway PF 18 2-2 0-0 0 6 1 0 4
Weston Wagner SF 6 3-4 2-2 0 0 0 1 9
Scott McMasters PG 6 1-1 2-2 0 0 2 0 4
Immanuel Bahr PF 1 0-0 0-0 1 2 0 1 0
Turnovers: 13 (D.O'Halloran 3, I.Moody 4, A.Richardson
1, K.Smith 1, W.Wagner 2, S.McMasters 1, I.Bahr 1)
Blocked Shots: 4 (D.O'Halloran 1, R.Holloway 3)
Steals: 11 (F.Curl 1, I.Moody 2, A.Richardson 2,
K.Smith 4, T.Lien 1, R.Holloway 1)
3P FGs: 2-10 (A.Richardson 1-4, K.Smith 0-1, T.Lien
0-3, W.Wagner 1-2)
Player of Game: C Dan O'Halloran (VLNV)
With 6:05 remaining in the first half, the score is tied at 19. Syracuse wing
Daniel Collings, finding his path to the basket blocked by
Roman Holloway, tries to kick the ball back out to point guard
Rene Gonzalez.
Kai Smith anticipates the play, flashes into the passing lane, and steals the pass. This steal is the
340th of Kai's illustrious career, and he is now the
NCAA's all-time leader. We request the game ball, and it's presented to Kai as a keepsake.
He and his teammates then pursue the greater goal of another NCAA championship, locking down our Big East rival and advancing to the Elite Eight.
Record: 32-3.
March 28, 2043
NCAA East Region Final: the Elite Eight
Code:
(1) #1 Villanova 86, (3) #10 Miami 81
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Miami (31-6, 14-2):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Jack Lasher C 26 3-9 1-2 3 4 0 4 7
Don Messenger PF 33 5-8 6-6 2 6 0 3 16
C. Desjardins SF 35 4-6 0-0 2 5 2 2 9
Rolland Mix SG 30 6-13 4-4 3 7 2 4 19
Peter Johnson PG 35 3-9 2-2 0 2 7 3 8
Percy Hake C 16 1-1 2-4 1 3 0 1 4
Philip Vines PF 5 1-1 0-0 0 1 0 1 2
Daniel Cox SG 8 2-3 4-4 0 0 1 0 9
Gregory Leclaire PF 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0
D. Hendrickson SF 7 0-0 2-2 0 1 0 0 2
Foster Moriarty PG 5 2-3 0-0 0 0 0 1 5
Theo Gifford SF 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0
Turnovers: 21 (J.Lasher 3, D.Messenger 3, C.Desjardins
1, R.Mix 8, P.Johnson 3, D.Hendrickson 2, F.Moriarty 1)
Blocked Shots: 4 (J.Lasher 1, D.Messenger 1, R.Mix 1,
P.Hake 1)
Steals: 8 (J.Lasher 1, C.Desjardins 2, P.Johnson 2,
D.Cox 2, T.Gifford 1)
3P FGs: 6-12 (C.Desjardins 1-2, R.Mix 3-6, P.Johnson
0-1, D.Cox 1-1, F.Moriarty 1-2)
Villanova (33-3, 14-2):
Player Pos Min Fgm-a Ftm-a Off Reb Ast PF Pts
Dan O'Halloran C 36 8-14 6-6 6 15 2 3 22
Forrest Curl PF 17 3-5 0-0 2 2 0 5 6
Israel Moody SF 17 2-8 2-2 0 2 2 4 6
Asaad Richardson SG 28 5-11 5-6 0 1 4 3 19
Kai Smith PG 36 3-5 4-4 2 3 11 1 11
Tyson Lien SG 15 2-2 0-0 2 2 1 2 5
Roman Holloway PF 25 3-7 0-0 2 5 0 2 6
Weston Wagner SF 20 4-9 0-0 1 2 2 3 9
Scott McMasters PG 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0
Immanuel Bahr PF 3 0-1 2-2 0 0 0 0 2
Brian Cioffi PF 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0
Turnovers: 18 (D.O'Halloran 2, F.Curl 2, I.Moody 4,
A.Richardson 2, K.Smith 2, T.Lien 3, W.Wagner 2,
S.McMasters 1)
Blocked Shots: 7 (D.O'Halloran 1, I.Moody 1, R.Holloway
5)
Steals: 8 (D.O'Halloran 1, I.Moody 2, A.Richardson 1,
R.Holloway 1, W.Wagner 3)
3P FGs: 7-18 (A.Richardson 4-9, K.Smith 1-3, T.Lien
1-1, W.Wagner 1-5)
Player of Game: C Dan O'Halloran (VLNV)
Kai Smith doesn't want to talk much about
his 1000th assist. "I've played a long time," he says. "I've been lucky to have a lot of great teammates, great scorers playing beside me. When I get the ball to them, they do good things with it.
"We won the game and we're going to the Final Four. That's the story here."
At one point, Kai has exactly 1000 career assists and exactly 200 career turnovers. Those are some fantastic round numbers, aren't they? He lost the ball on a drive in the game's final minute, giving him 201 turnovers.
How special is this? Twenty-three players have committed at least 150 turnovers
in a single season, and the record is 174. Given his career rates, Kai would have to play eleven seasons of college hoops in order to break the career record for turnovers. By then, he would have over 2500 assists.
He'll have at least one more game to add to his totals. As he pointed out, we're going to the Final Four.
Record: 33-3.