March 2007 Archives

Nothing much, it seems, has changed much in a year's time when it comes to the University of Florida and UCLA basketball teams.

Considering that Arron Afflalo didn't score and was saddled with three fouls and that Luc Richard Mbah a Moute likewise was hit with two quick fouls and didn't score, UCLA is dang fortunate to be only trailing by six points at intermission against Florida.

OK. If anyone had any doubts as to why Greg Oden will be the No. 1 selection in the June 28 NBA Draft, they were dashed all to heck in the second half Saturday evening in the Georgia Dome.

Roy Hibbert and Greg Oden are heating up.

Greg Oden played two minutes and 41 seconds in the first half, didn't score and didn't grab a rebound.

Ohio State is up by seven points, even with Greg Oden on the bench.

Well, the battle of the big men (at least for the first half) didn't last long.

This is why people become sportswriters.

Apparently, speculation was running hot and heavy Friday in Long Beach that an LBSU graduate was on the verge of becoming his alma mater's head basketball coach.

Just strolled into the building . . . Centennial Park was already crawling with Gator-types.

If I was a UCLA fan and the Bruins needed a desperation shot to knock off the Florida Gators tonight, I know who I would want shooting the ball.

And that guy is . . .

You know there is too much media coverage at a Final Four when . . .

For those of you who have read my Thursday column . . . I should have mentioned a fourth apparently “viable” candidate for the Long Beach State basketball coaching job.

You can add another name to the list of candidates to be the next Long Beach State men’s basketball coach.

It’s (officially) over: Virginia 84, Albany 57

Talk about a mismatch.

Halftime: Virginia 45, Albany 25.

Saw two wonderful guys right before tip-off of the Albany-Virginia game:

Dr. Bob Maxson, the former Long Beach State president, and Pete Gillen, the former Virginia coach.

Who says you can’t learn anything while covering what only seems like your zillionth NCAA basketball tournament?

While entering going through the press entrance of Nationwide Arena this morning at about 10:20, my computer and “work” (press guides, files, iPods and the such) bags were inspected by a drug- and bomb-sniffing black lab.

Barring one of the great comebacks of this or any other century, the Long Beach State 49ers are going to play the Cal Poly Mustangs in the Big West Conference Tournament final Saturday night in the Anaheim Convention Center.

The Long Beach State men’s basketball team could have drawn a couple of other more advantageous opponents for its Big West Conference semifinal at 6:30 in the Anaheim Convention Center tonight.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls . . . our Final Fours are set!
Well, in a manner of speaking.

The University of Washington Huskies have not beaten their cross-state rivals the Washington State Cougars in two years, a stretch of four consecutive defeats split between Seattle and Pullman.
With that in mind . . . Coach Lorenzo Romar’s Huskies lead coach Tony Bennett’s Cougars at intermission tonight, 36-32.

And then there were trey.
USC became the third team to advance to the Pac 10 semifinals with its overtime win over Stanford.

Wow . . .
Another OT, baby.

Stanford was down by seven points a couple of times early in the first half but Stanford took a 42-31 at intermission..

Well, I thought UCLA’s defense was going to pull it out for the Bruins on an afternoon when their offense was awful.
So much for that late second-half assumption.

The Bruins trail at halftime to Cal, 37-25.
And here’s are bad they were: they’re fortunate to be only trailing by 12 points.

What can be said about the University of Arizona basketball team following its inglorious quarterfinal exit from the Pac 10 Conference Tournament this afternoon?

Halftime: Oregon 34, Arizona 23.
Ducks’ guard Aaron Brooks has 16 points and his UA counterpart, Mustafa Shakur, has 16 less than that.

Back and at ‘em in the Staples Center.
Oregon seems to be playing a lot harder and with much more enthusiasm that does Arizona, which trails, 21-16.

They were down by 11 points in the first half to Arizona State tonight but the Washington Huskies are going to get another pop at the cross-state rival Washington State Cougars Thursday night in the Pac 10 basketball tournament quarterfinals.
There’s the buzzer!
UW 59, ASU 51.

Washington was down by nine points just a few minutes but has now tied the score at 24 after consecutive inside shots by Spencer Hawes.

Well, put them in the books: Cal beat Oregon State and UC Irvine (in the game played across the Katella from the Magic Kingdom) edged UC Riverside by a point.

Oregon State is making a nice rally.

Oregon State jumped out on top, 13-6.
And now it’s Cal 38-15, with 3:49 to go.
Lights out for the Beavers.

Oregon State and Cal just tipped off at 6:15 in the Staples Center.
I’m courtside, just behind the Oregon State bench, and the best news so far is that the wireless service in the Staples Center rocks!

You want my choices as All-Big West players?

You’ve got them!

The Pacific 10 Conference will probably release its all-conference selections, as well as coach, freshman and player of the year honors, on Tuesday.

Here are my choices: