Here’s the place to talk about tonight’s action. I’m tentatively going out to watch the game with friends at a local drinking establishment, so I probably won’t be around to chat during the game.
Here’s my game preview for anyone who might have missed it. To repeat what I said then:
My instincts say this game will be a lot closer than we want it to be at halftime, but our size and athleticism will wear the Colonials down in the second half for a comfortable win and a match-up with USC or Boston College on Sunday.
Colonials Corner has a nice round-up of pre-game links. Included is a Deadspin preview the author contributed to. Fun facts about Colonials star Jeremy Chappell:
In fact, he is the only player in Northeast Conference history with 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 250 assists, 250 steals, and 200 three-pointers. Yes, fans chant “Chappell Show” after significant plays. No, he looks nothing like Crazy Dave.
Enjoy the game. Let’s hear people’s predictions on tonight’s player of the game (a Spartan player, we certainly hope).
GO GREEN!
Player of the game: Suton puts up a 22-13 double-double.
Picks for the rest of the night (I may not be around either, debating between following things on MMOD or heading to Buffalo Wild Wings since I’m stuck with the Wisconsin-FSU game on TV): USC, Louisville, Ohio State, Utah, Cleveland State, Xavier, Wisconsin.
Travis Walton for player of the game. I think his defense on the perimeter is going to be very important.
Guh.
We’re getting the ball down low but they’re blocking everything Roe tries to put up despite our size advantage.
Not closer at half time than we’d want in score, but RM is looking tough. And Chris Allen has shown up big.
Suton is a one man rebounding machine!
I know they’ve had a few ring out, but this scoreless stretch is very impressive.
This is better. 21-0 run.
The Wake loss is going to kill my bracket.
Cleveland State over Wake – that’s what March madness is all about.
Wake didn’t even put up a fight.
WISKY! Travon Hughes with 2 seconds to go!
Louisville should cruise to the elite 8. A 16, a 9, a 13/12, and then us. If Ohio State had won, they would have provided a harder matchup than Siena. But alas. At least we don’t have to possibly play Ohio St.
If Suton hadn’t been pulled with about six minutes left, my prediction might have been backwards. 12 boards by halftime. That’s insane. For the game, he posted an eye-popping 54.2 individual DR% – and at one point during the mid-game run, RMU had just two more rebounds for the game than Suton had by himself.
Robert Morris played us just about even for the first 15 minutes and the last 15 (actually outscored us toward the end, but we had the starters out by then). The middle 10 minutes, though … 21-0 tends to be enough to let you coast the rest of the way.
Bracket contest standings after the first round (teams still alive):
1. Seer 90 (13)
2. DP99 82 (14)
3t. Alex 73 (11)
3t. SpartanDan 73 (11)
3t. Chris 73 (10)
6. Mark in DC 65 (9)
7. Mark in Chicago 64 (12)
8t. Jackson22 63 (10)
8t. TMadison25 63 (8)
10t. rook34 59 (13)
10t. gbbound 59 (11)
12. kj 58 (11)
13. Tommy 55 (10)
14. Ground Zero East Lansing 52 (11)
15t. spartanproducer 49 (11)
15t. EB 49 (8)
17t. dougieb 46 (12)
17t. Kurt 46 (9)
19. Otto 44 (11)
20. msufan23 37 (8)
21. wife of a spartan 34 (13)
22. Sparty in Badgerland 32 (13)