The third day of the NCAA Tournament saw the reign of chalk, games whose results went according to seed, the inevitability of talent on display. There were close finishes, tears, passion - everything one expects in the tournament. But the lower seeds couldn't pull the surprise, and the real contenders continue to the Sweet Sixteen Regionals.
St. John's coach Steve Lavin spent some time in the CBS studios, giving coaching insights to offset the NBA-centric knowledge of Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith (who think Syracuse's zone is easy to solve. Maybe with NBA-level shooters it is...).
Coach Lavin dropped Lavin Lines like "The zone collapses like an accordion or a Venus flytrap". It was great for the fans to see him as healthy as ever on the program. But his goal - and the goal of the program - is to be back in the field of 68.
The Rumble will discuss what needs to happen next year, and the recruits who can make it happen in the coming weeks. But for now, let's enjoy the NCAA Tournament.
More picks, game times for Sunday's NCAA Tournament games, times, channels, and games to watch - below the fold.
| Location | Day | Time | Station | Game |
Pico
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Quinn
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Tim
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| Nationwide Arena (Columbus, Ohio) | Sunday, March 18 | 12:15 PM | CBS | N.C. State #11 MW |
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| vs. Georgetown #3 MW |
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| Nationwide Arena (Columbus, Ohio) | Sunday, March 18 | 2:45 PM | CBS | St. Louis #9 W |
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| vs. Michigan St. #1 W |
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| Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, NC) | Sunday, March 18 | 5:15 PM | CBS | Creighton #8 MW |
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| vs. North Carolina #1 MW |
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| CenturyLink Center Omaha (Omaha, NE) | Sunday, March 18 | 6:10 PM | TNT | Norfolk St. #15 W |
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| vs. Florida #7 W |
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| Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, TN) | Sunday, March 18 | 7:10 PM | TBS | Ohio #13 MW | |||
| vs. South Florida #12 MW |
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| Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, NC) | Sunday, March 18 | 3:10 PM | truTV | Lehigh #15 S | |||
| vs. Xavier #10 S |
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| CenturyLink Center Omaha (Omaha, NE) | Sunday, March 18 | 4:10 PM | TNT | Purdue #10 MW |
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| vs. Kansas #2 MW | x |
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| Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, TN) | Sunday, March 18 | 4:40 PM | TBS | Cincinnati #6 E | x |
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| vs. Florida St. #3 E |
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Tim's game to watch: Norfolk State Spartans vs. Florida Gators.
After an impressive win against Missouri, Norfolk State advances to face-off Florida. Kyle O`Quinn had a terrific game scoring 26 points and collecting 14 rebounds and after his post-game pressure with Craig Seger, he and Norfolk State might have just become the "Cinderella Story" of the tournament.
Billy Donovan and crew have to be prepared for this game. After cruising past Virginia in their first game, the Gators have to make sure they don't let up. Patric Young and Bradley Beal had solid performances all-around and will have to be just as good or they'll get blindsided by Norfolk State just like Missouri did.
Tim's Game NOT to watch: South Florida Bulls vs. Ohio Bobcats.
After watching USF play Temple, I'm having nightmares of what the Big East will look like in a couple of years. Ohio got a big win against Michigan so hopefully they'll come out fired up and ready to play and we won't have a half-time score of 13-10.
Quinn's team not to get excited about: Norfolk State Spartans.
Friday reminded us why March Madness is the best time of year in sports. Anyone can beat anyone on any given day and squander the dreams of the nation's top teams with a blink of an eye. We were enthralled by Norfolk State's win over Big XII champion Missouri, aided by a historical 26-point performance from, Jamaica, Queens native Kevin O'Quinn (nice name, isn't it?). In fact, the Spartans have eight players from Queens that helped lead the team capture the MEAC conference title.
We weren't expecting you to pick Norfolk State to beat Florida on Sunday. But we aren't expecting you to even think about it either. Drawing Missouri in the 2 vs. 15 match-up was the best thing that could have happened to the Spartans. The Tigers' four-guard set makes it exponentially easier for mid-major teams to compete. Head coach Anthony Evans even said on CBS on Saturday that they felt going in that the match-up was in their favor, as opposed to facing a team with overwhelming length. Florida will be too much for the Spartans on Sunday in Omaha. Lightning doesn't strike the same spot twice, does it?
Quinn's game to watch: Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Florida State Seminoles.
It's always a treat when two teams playing their best basketball meet in the NCAA Tournament. Mick Cronin's Bearcats are fresh off a Big East title game appearance and the program's best regular season finish since joining the conference in 2005. St. John's fans know how explosive Sean Kilpatrick and Yancy Gates can be offensively, which they will need to be for the 'Cats to move on to the Sweet 16. Though they had some trouble closing out a weak Texas Longhorns squad in the Round of 64, expect Cincinnati to be right there in the final minutes on Sunday.
On the other side, Florida State has also had its most successful season in a long time. Just a week ago, the Seminoles shocked the nation by beating the daunting North Carolina Tar Heels in the ACC final in Atlanta. Yes, Leonard Hamilton's team can sometimes have issues scoring and did stumble into a win over St. Bonaventure on Friday. But they are still a worthy opponent for the red hot Bearcats. If this one isn't in doubt within the final 60 seconds, it would be surprising.
Pico's game to watch: St. Louis Billikens vs. Michigan St. Spartans
Two of college basketball's best coaches meet in an afternoon contest in Columbus. The St. Louis Billikens have one of their best teams under Rick Majerus with toughness, height, and versatile shooting - and a trio of playmaking guards in Kwamain Mitchell, Jordair Jett, and Mike McCall. The Michigan State Spartans are deft defenders, but have some gaps at guard and wing - and can have turnover problems. It will be a good, tough, hard fought game.
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Schedule recap, with links to the Rumble St. John's game recaps and links to re-watch games