BASKETBALL

The weekend… FULL OF MADNESS.  March Madness that is, as teams were vying to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16.
Syracuse struggled in the first round against UNC-Asheville, but in the second round, against a much better Kansas State team, they upped their game, and ran away with the win in the second half.  Dion Waiters led all Syracuse scorers with 18 points, as the Orange advance to the Sweet Sixteen.  After the game, Kansas State head coach Frank Martin choked up speechless before speaking about the toughness of his team.  Look for Kansas State to rebound next year.  Syracuse 75, Kansas State 59.

And one of the Cinderella candidates, Ohio, after knocking off #4 seed Michigan was looking to make their way into the Sweet Sixteen.  Ohio would have to take on Univ. of South Florida, who also pulled an upset on #5 seed Temple.  USF was heavily favored, but Ohio came into the game organized and poised and hit their shots down the stretch to pull out the victory.  Nobody expected them to even sniff the Sweet Sixteen, but now they will get a shot at #1 seed North Carolina.  Ohio 62, USF 56.

Speaking of North Carolina, they had their way with #8 Creighton.  UNC’s success this year is largely due to their improved teamwork.  Last year, it was the Harrison Barnes show, but this year they’ve jelled, thanks in large part to their point guard Kendall Marshall.  He controls the offense, and has also turned into a fantastic scorer, putting up 18 points against Creighton.  But, it looks like Marshall also broke his wrist, and is now questionable for the rest of the tournament.  With Marshall, the Tar Heels are a different team, and they really need him out there.  There is a chance that UNC is susceptible to losing to Ohio.  UNC 87, Creighton 73.

And, it was a thrill ride as #10 Purdue took on #2 Kansas.  This was a big deal because it was potentially the last game for Purdue star Robbie Hummel.  Hummel was one of the star recruits coming out of High School, but injuries kept him from playing some seasons, and everybody wanted to see if Purdue could get it done with Hummel at 100%.  The Boilermakers were destroying the Jayhawks.  But… a team as talented as Kansas doesn’t just roll over and die.  In the end, they hit some clutch shots to get the lead.  Purdue had one last chance, and hurled up a long three, that hit the backboard and bounced off the rim.  And that was all she wrote for Purdue.  Hummel had 26 in the amazing effort, and it was the end of a great college career.  Hopefully he gets a shot in the pros.  Kansas 63, Purdue 60.

Get ready for the Sweet 16, starting next Thursday.