Mid-Major Madness: All Posts by Nicolas A. Lewis"So what are they going to call it? NonPower5Madness.com?"https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50397/midmajor-fav.png2016-03-13T19:56:14-07:00https://www.midmajormadness.com/authors/nicolas-lewis/rss2016-03-13T19:56:14-07:002016-03-13T19:56:14-07:00Twitter reacts to this Tulsa nonsense
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<figcaption>Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It's just not fair, I tell you.</p> <p>When it comes to teams getting snubbed, you can probably spin any argument in any direction you want to reach a goal, but it's always a little awkward when your presence in the tournament is a surprise to your own team. So, while I can certainly appreciate the pure joy of a moment like this...:</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Here are the reactions from some <a href="https://twitter.com/TUMBasketball">@TUMBasketball</a> players from the locker room when they found out they were dancing! <a href="https://t.co/4geHK33VKP">pic.twitter.com/4geHK33VKP</a></p>
— TulsaHurricane (@TulsaHurricane) <a href="https://twitter.com/TulsaHurricane/status/709174984992694272">March 14, 2016</a>
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<p> </p>
<p>...I personally think it seems a little bit awkward when you compare it to something like this:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tulsa PG Shaq Harrison was pretty stunned that the Golden Hurricane made it to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarchMadness?src=hash">#MarchMadness</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SelectionSunday?src=hash">#SelectionSunday</a> <a href="https://t.co/wwLGplokzh">pic.twitter.com/wwLGplokzh</a></p>
— 120 Sports (@120Sports) <a href="https://twitter.com/120Sports/status/709164591264059392">March 13, 2016</a>
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<p>That's Golden Hurricane senior point guard Shaq Harrison, stating as recently as 15 hours ago that there was no way Tulsa would get into the tournament. And yet there they are, in as a #11 seed to face Michigan in a First Four matchup.</p>
<p>Some people disagreed slightly with this concept:</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">NCAA figure it out Michigan lost 8 plus games by 10 points and Tulsa isn't even a real basketball team</p>
— Aidan Favia (@afavia3) <a href="https://twitter.com/afavia3/status/709149316024242181">March 13, 2016</a>
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<p> </p>
<p>Some appealed to their favorite higher power for some justice or reason.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/TheEllenShow">@TheEllenShow</a> Hi. My college basketball team didn't get into the tournament and some school in a fake place called Tulsa did. Please help.</p>
— Dylan Stebbins (@DylanStebbins) <a href="https://twitter.com/DylanStebbins/status/709152920416227328">March 13, 2016</a>
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<p> </p>
<p>Even Dan Dakich was perplexed, which is saying something.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tulsa got in "for a reason I can't tell you". - <a href="https://twitter.com/dandakich">@dandakich</a> LOL hilarious <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarchMadness?src=hash">#MarchMadness</a></p>
— Sirdarious Roundtree (@Sir_Tree11) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sir_Tree11/status/709185097451180033">March 14, 2016</a>
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<p> </p>
<p>But this little nugget of knowledge is quite possibly my favorite:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Bracket Matrix features an index of 59 Bracketologists. ZERO of them picked Tulsa. <a href="https://t.co/I7cKgEATbp">https://t.co/I7cKgEATbp</a> <a href="https://t.co/296R96I6qK">pic.twitter.com/296R96I6qK</a></p>
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger_sherman) <a href="https://twitter.com/rodger_sherman/status/709150748626575360">March 13, 2016</a>
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<p> </p>
<p>Now, obviously, bracketologists are not the one who select the teams, otherwise, they would be called "the selection committee." That being said, they stake their reputation on being able to predict the field of 68 as accurately as they can, and it is rare for them to have either a large number of misses or a particular team that they miss very badly on.</p>
<p>Read that again; almost <a href="http://bracketmatrix.com/"><i>five dozen</i> brackets from bracketologists around the country</a>, and <i>none</i> of them had Tulsa in the tournament. That's rather glaring evidence that the committee dropped the ball if you ask me.</p>
<p>Who got jobbed the worst? Well, according to the Bracket Matrix, that would be St. Bonaventure, who was anywhere from an 8-seed to an 11-seed on 52 of those 59 brackets. If you want to take it a step further, St. Mary's was included on 38 of these 59 brackets, but instead, we got Vanderbilt who appeared on only 19 of them.</p>
<p>Things got even better when <strike>Little Caesar's corporate scape-goat Chet Wallaby</strike> Selection Committee scape-goat Joe Castiglione was brought on the air to explain the reasons why teams like St. Bonaventure, Monmouth and others were left out of the bracket.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Chair Joe Castiglione explains some of the tough choices the Committee made. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarchMadness?src=hash">#MarchMadness</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SelectionSunday?src=hash">#SelectionSunday</a><a href="https://t.co/MqV8OhoLWN">https://t.co/MqV8OhoLWN</a></p>
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) <a href="https://twitter.com/marchmadness/status/709161738134888448">March 13, 2016</a>
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<p>I will cut him a little bit of slack for this tom-foolery because he is attempting to answer for the opinions of far more people than himself, but he did far more harm than good.</p>
<p>He essentially informed us that if you aren't from a power conference or The American, you need to be <i style="font-weight: bold;">perfect </i>in conference play if you want to get to the dance without an auto-bid. Except if you are a team with a tournament history like Wichita State or VCU.</p>
<p>Which creates interesting little data points like this one:</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Worst strength of record among teams in the field:<br>Tulsa (66th)<br>Vanderbilt (61st) <br>Wichita St (56th)<br>Syracuse (55th)<br>VCU (54th)</p>
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/709155536516870149">March 13, 2016</a>
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<p>I don't care if they were the last team in the tournament because there were numerous more deserving candidates. I can't say I disagree with Mr. Glockner here:</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tulsa's profile is basically "We beat a First Four team and an ineligible team and RPIWINSYOLO"</p>
— Andy Glockner (@AndyGlockner) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndyGlockner/status/709185242230300676">March 14, 2016</a>
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<p>Better luck next year to the MAAC, A-10 and all the other small leagues. Time to start focusing on going undefeated instead, I guess.</p>
https://www.midmajormadness.com/2016-ncaa-tournament-march-madness/2016/3/13/11217668/tulsa-golden-hurricane-syracuse-orangemen-st-bonaventure-monmouth-ncaa-tournamentNicolas A. Lewis2015-03-18T09:00:05-07:002015-03-18T09:00:05-07:00NMSU Aggies Have A Chance... At A Close Loss
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<figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Marvin Menzies' squad will very likely enjoy a very long trip back home after drawing the buzzsaw that is the Rock Chalk squad in the first round.</p> <p>I legitimately thought that the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/new-mexico-st-aggies" class="sbn-auto-link">New Mexico State Aggies</a> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.midmajormadness.com/2015-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament/2015/3/15/8217613/2015-ncaa-tournament-preview-wac-champion-new-mexico-state-aggies">could be capable of putting fear in the hearts</a> of their first round opponent. Hell, if everything broke perfectly they might even pull an upset.</p>
<p>Then they got screwed into a 15-seed (because clearly Albany deserved to be a line above them), and got the double whammy of having to face the <a href="https://www.rockchalktalk.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Kansas Jayhawks</a> as their 2-seed torture of choice. I guess it was nice while it lasted, gentlemen.</p>
<p><b>The Matchup</b></p>
<p>The Kansas Jayhawks went 12-1 this season against teams with an RPI higher than 46, and there's good reason for that. They shoot the ball reasonably well and do a great job of rebounding their misses (53rd in Off Reb%), and they are a strong yet selective outside shooting team. <span>Perry Ellis</span>, Wayne Selden Jr., and company are household names at this point in the season.</p>
<p>That said, they also are one of the worst teams in the nation at getting their shots blocked on offense, and for as good as they are rebounding the ball on offense, they struggled nearly as much with preventing offensive rebounds on the other end. That's a likely indicator that their rebounding prowess is more a factor of their system than some existence as rebounding behemoths who are impenetrable down low.</p>
<p>The Jayhawks aren't a particularly tall team, as the only two players above 6-8 (Landon Lucas and <span>Hunter Mickelson</span>) are a back-of-the-rotation player and a back-of-the-bench player, respectively. The Aggies will definitely not be intimidated by KU's size, especially if they have 7-3 <span>Tanveer Bhullar</span> available on the bench. They may even have a rebounding advantage, considering they're the only team this far down the bracket that is good enough at rebounding the ball (9th nationally in OffReb%) to take advantage of that weakness.</p>
<p>Man, I feel like I'm talking myself into a really stupid pick on a few of my brackets.</p>
<p>The Aggies are on a short list of teams that are experienced and big enough to take on the Jayhawks, so it's more a matter of whether they can do so for an entire game. Can Pascal Siakam or <span>Tshilidzi Nephawe</span> harness their crazy talent long enough to stay out of foul trouble and hold their own?</p>
<p>Probably not.</p>
<p>With Daniel Mullings back and firing on all cylinders, there are many things that are possible, but I'm just not sure that 60 minutes of excellent basketball against a top 10 team is one of them. KenPom has this one as an 84 percent chance that the Jayhawks will win, with a projected score of 70-61. This feels about right to me.</p>
<p><b>Prediction: </b>Kansas 72, New Mexico State 64</p>
https://www.midmajormadness.com/2015-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament/2015/3/18/8220987/2015-ncaa-tournament-first-round-preview-new-mexico-state-aggies-kansas-jayhawksNicolas A. Lewis2015-03-17T20:49:15-07:002015-03-17T20:49:15-07:00UTEP Assoc. AD Apologizes for Twitter Gaffe
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<figcaption>Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>A social media snafu has gotten a bunch of NBA Scout scented egg on the face of the Texas-El Paso athletics department.</p> <p><i><b>UPDATE:</b> Jeff Darby, senior associate Athletic Director for UTEP, has issued an apology via Twitter:</i></p>
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<p>The tweet about Vince Hunter earlier this evening was intended to be posted to a personal account. - Jeff Darby, Senior Associate AD</p>
— UTEP Miners (@UTEPAthletics) <a href="https://twitter.com/UTEPAthletics/status/578064487116247040">March 18, 2015</a>
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<p>It does not reflect the opinion of UTEP Athletics and the UTEP Basketball Staff. - Jeff Darby, Senior Associate AD</p>
— UTEP Miners (@UTEPAthletics) <a href="https://twitter.com/UTEPAthletics/status/578064628187447297">March 18, 2015</a>
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<p>I apologize to Vince, coach Floyd, his staff and the athletic department. - Jeff Darby, Senior Associate AD</p>
— UTEP Miners (@UTEPAthletics) <a href="https://twitter.com/UTEPAthletics/status/578065560702857217">March 18, 2015</a>
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<p>-----</p>
<p>So, after entering <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nit-tournament" style="background-color: #ffffff;">the NIT</a> as a 6-seed, the UTEP Miners faced off against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/murray-st-racers" style="background-color: #ffffff;">Murray State Racers</a>. Not only did they lose, but it wasn't particularly pretty. The whole team, including leading rebounder and scorer, struggled. Hunter still managed to put up 11 points, 10 rebounds and three steals, but it was generally not a pretty night.</p>
<p>And then there was a lot of talk about offseason plans and.... I'm sorry, what's that?</p>
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<p>HOLY CRAP. The <i>University of Texas at El Paso athletic department Twitter account</i> sent out a tweet saying that their star player, according to a consensus polling of the NBA scouts at their game, is <i style="font-weight: bold;">not</i> pro material.</p>
<p>You will be <i style="font-weight: bold;">shocked</i> to learn that the Twitterverse was ALL OVER THEIR ASSES></p>
<blockquote lang="en" class="twitter-tweet">
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/Zhawk44">@Zhawk44</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/UTEPAthletics">@UTEPAthletics</a> I think <span>Vince Hunter</span> screwed this dude's wife or something, I sense some animosity lol</p>
— Cody Hills (@codyhills1) <a href="https://twitter.com/codyhills1/status/578032000931639297">March 18, 2015</a>
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Seriously. There are very few explanations for such a tweet, so why not go to the Nth degree with your speculation? Twitter is the best revenge, as we all know.</p>
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<p>.<a href="https://twitter.com/UTEPAthletics">@UTEPAthletics</a> Awesome tweet about your own guy, and then hashtag it <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/minerstrong?src=hash">#minerstrong</a>..haha, our guy sucks but <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/minerstrong?src=hash">#minerstrong</a></p>
— Scott Andrews (@scott_andrews17) <a href="https://twitter.com/scott_andrews17/status/578031951065452544">March 18, 2015</a>
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THIS MAKES SENSE. Unless this is some sort of, like, #humblebrag? Does that work that way?</p>
<p>Some folks tried to make a more defensible explanation.</p>
<blockquote lang="en" class="twitter-tweet">
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/UTEPAthletics">@UTEPAthletics</a> Now Vince knows what he needs to work on this summer.</p>
— Ricky Zavala (@rickyzavala) <a href="https://twitter.com/rickyzavala/status/578032544836239360">March 18, 2015</a>
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This is true. Vince now, very literally, knows exactly what he needs to work on. Assuming, of course, that this is the <i>only</i> thing standing between he and the NBA. Although, as one person points out, maybe this will cause him to leave early anyways?</p>
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<p>Not sure bashing your best player on your official twitter account is the best way to get him to come back for another season <a href="https://twitter.com/UTEPAthletics">@UTEPAthletics</a></p>
— Jeff (BPredict) (@BPredict) <a href="https://twitter.com/BPredict/status/578029761462669312">March 18, 2015</a>
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Agreed. If I'm Vince, and I see this, I'm all like "YO SCREW THIS. I WASN'T GONNA LEAVE EARLY BUT IF THAT'S HOW IT'S GONNA BE..." and then poof, your best returning player for next year isn't anymore.</p>
<blockquote lang="en" class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Recruiting pitch: Come to <a href="https://twitter.com/UTEPAthletics">@UTEPAthletics</a> and we'll tweet about how bad you are <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/minerstrong?src=hash">#minerstrong</a></p>
— Scott Andrews (@scott_andrews17) <a href="https://twitter.com/scott_andrews17/status/578033328873295873">March 18, 2015</a>
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YES. Kind of similar to other recruiting pitches like "COME TO ALABAMA AND WE'LL TEACH YOU HOW TO POISON TREES" or "COME TO OREGON AND WE'LL TEACH YOU WHY HILITE IS THE BEST COLOR." Both well known as highly successful ploys for bringing in quality talent.</p>
<p>Finally, Captain Obvious spoke up.</p>
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<p><a href="https://twitter.com/BPredict">@BPredict</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/UTEPAthletics">@UTEPAthletics</a> guessing that this was meant to be sent from a personal account</p>
— Brian Langford (@boringBrianL) <a href="https://twitter.com/boringBrianL/status/578030488868159488">March 18, 2015</a>
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<p>Well, yeah. Your extra proof is the fact that te original tweet in this article is an image, not an embedded tweet, because it got deleted in about half the time it took me to write this story. Of course, UTEP is too cool to apologize, or anything like that, so the only tweet on their account in the last 45 minutes is simply:</p>
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<p>Still proud of <a href="https://twitter.com/UTEPAthletics">@UTEPAthletics</a> men’s basketball team. Keep your heads up guys. 22-win seasons aren’t easily accomplished. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MinerStrong?src=hash">#MinerStrong</a></p>
— UTEPWBB (@UTEPWBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/UTEPWBB/status/578036136162938880">March 18, 2015</a>
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You do you, UTEP. We wait to hear your explanation.</p>
https://www.midmajormadness.com/2015/3/17/8240159/utep-miner-athletics-uses-twitter-to-put-down-their-own-playerNicolas A. Lewis2015-03-17T18:07:05-07:002015-03-17T18:07:05-07:00Pirates Tell Jaspers: H-B-C U Later
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<figcaption>Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Aggressive offense by Hampton got Manhattan in early foul trouble, and they never really recovered.</p> <p><i>A dark hallway underneath the University of Dayton Arena. Two players are seen standing face-to-face, backlit by the arena floor lights.</i></p>
<p><b><i>Player in blue and silver Hampton uniform: You ready to do this?</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>Player in white and green Manhattan uniform: Let's make it happen.</i></b></p>
<p><i>A manshake is made; a thunderclap and flash of lightning happen in the hallway, as both players are blown back against opposite walls. After slowly recovering to their feet, they take a long look at each other, sizing each other up.</i></p>
<p><i>They jog out to the floor.</i></p>
<p><i><span>Ashton Pankey</span> and <span>Quinton Chievous</span>' body swap has been completed.</i></p>
<p><i></i>That's sure as hell what this game felt like.</p>
<p>Coming into this game, Quinton Chievous had posted five double-doubles on the season and had scored more than 15 points six times. In 33 games. In the surface, that looks like a guy who is a threat to be a presence on the block, but isn't about to really take over a game.</p>
<p>Except today, Chievous had 11 points and 10 rebounds. <i style="font-weight: bold;">At halftime</i>.</p>
<p>Again, Chievous had posted his seventh double-double in 34 games by the time everyone was making their second run for nachos.</p>
<p><span>Deron Powers</span>, coming into this game, had been averaging 15 points, three rebounds and four assists per game since returning to the Pirate lineup in early February. At the half, he had five points and six assists, which means he was well on his way to his first double-double of the season and one assist away from seven for the third time all year.</p>
<p>Who is this team?</p>
<p>What the hell happened to Manhattan, a team that, at least on paper, is far and away the better team? Well, any team becomes flawed when they can't stay out of foul trouble. In a span of <i>one minute</i> of game time, <span>Emmy Andujar</span>, Ashton Pankey and <span>Tyler Wilson</span> had all picked up their second foul.</p>
<p>It should come as no shock that Manhattan trailed by seven, 38-31, at the half when you realize that their two leading scorers had combined for almost as many fouls (4) as points (5). Also, the rim appeared to shrink on their end of the court. The Jaspers managed to hit only 11 of their 33 field goal attempts in the half.</p>
<p>Pankey, specifically, was just out of control all night. Early on in the second half, things looked worrisome as he went up for a dunk - one of many close range shot attempts for him in the game - and was blocked to the ground and right onto his tailbone by <span>Emmanuel Okoroba</span>, then out of the game to the bench.</p>
<p>He wasn't playing well before then, and it only got worse from there. Pankey was hesitant, a step slow, and would return only to leave a few minutes later with his third foul, and again a few minutes after that with his fourth.</p>
<p>This game actually could have gotten even uglier had Chievous not rolled his ankle twice and needed regular periods of rest and/or being un-involved in the offense down the stretch.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Then the frustration started setting in.</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/manhattan-jaspers">Manhattan Jaspers</a> somehow, someway managed a grand total of <i style="font-weight: bold;">four</i> turnovers and scored <i style="font-weight: bold;">zero </i> points over a three and a half minute span down the stretch. Their fantastic press defense kept them in the game and strung things out a bit, but a pair of late free throws from <span>Brian Darden</span> sealed the deal for the Pirates.</p>
<p>Hampton had one player all season (Dwight Meikle) who averaged in double figures scoring. He didn't play tonight, and they still finished with three players posting more than 12 points. Meanwhile, <span>Shane Richards</span> needed every shot he could muster to wind up with 17 wholly meaningless points.</p>
<p>Hampton will now officially be the team that heads to the slaughter against Kentucky.</p>
https://www.midmajormadness.com/2015/3/17/8238979/2015-ncaa-tournament-manhattan-vs-hampton-final-score-pirates-toppleNicolas A. Lewis2015-03-17T07:00:04-07:002015-03-17T07:00:04-07:00#FreeUAB Likely Swept Away By Cyclones
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<figcaption>Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The feisty team from Birmingham probably got a higher seed than they deserved... and an opponent that will ensure it doesn't really matter.</p> <p>I already wrote about the fact that UAB's regular season profiles as a team that <a target="_blank" href="http://www.midmajormadness.com/2015-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament/2015/3/15/8217615/2015-ncaa-tournament-preview-conference-usa-champion-uab-blazers">got to where they are by way of some late season improvement </a>and also a little bit of luck with how their conference tournament matchups played out. I also said they were very likely to be overmatched against whomever they wound up facing in the tournament.</p>
<p>Now that they're facing the Fighting Hoibergs of Iowa State? Oh yes, that is not doubly, but triply true.</p>
<p><b>The Matchup</b></p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.widerightnattylite.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cyclones</a> are... what's a good way to put this... disgustingly efficient on offense. There are only 17 teams in the country with a better effective FG%, and only 15 who turn the ball over less often. Sophomore Matt Thomas and Northern Illinois transfer <span>Abdel Nader</span> are the only two players in the standard eight-man rotation who play less than 24 minutes a game, and they're also the only two who shoot worse than 46 percent from the field.</p>
<p>Oh, and they have some dude named <span>Georges Niang</span>, who is averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists over the last eight games, but he's been playing at that high level for a while. <span>Monte Morris</span>, on the other hand, has come into his own in his sophomore season and has improved as the season progressed. Witness his 24 point, three rebound, three assist and five steal performance against Texas as sound evidence.</p>
<p>This really presents a tall task for the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/uab-blazers" class="sbn-auto-link">Blazers</a>. The three teams that they played when they were in the Bahamas -- Wisconsin, UCLA, and Florida -- are the only teams they've played all season who are even close to the caliber of opponent they will face in Iowa State. And those three squads absolutely steamrolled UAB.</p>
<p>In terms of RPI, the one team Iowa State faced that was comparable to the Blazers was Texas Tech. The Red Raiders did manage to win the first matchup between the two, but then turned around and got bulldozed by 32 points two weeks later. I would consider the second result to be more indicative of UAB's fate.</p>
<p>You also have to factor in the lack of experience for the Blazers; one-third of their nine-man rotation had never played collegiate ball prior to this season, let alone <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/march-madness" class="sbn-auto-link">NCAA Tournament</a> basketball. You can contrast UAB's complete lack of tournament experience with Iowa State, where every player but the three freshman on the roster has <i>at least</i> one year of tournament experience.</p>
<p>KenPom has this one as an 86 percent chance of an Iowa State win and a projected score of 81-69, both of which I think are generously small. This one won't ever be close.</p>
<p><b>Prediction: </b>Iowa State 85, UAB 60</p>
https://www.midmajormadness.com/2015-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament/2015/3/17/8220989/2015-ncaa-tournament-first-round-preview-uab-blazers-iowa-state-cyclonesNicolas A. Lewis2015-03-16T09:00:03-07:002015-03-16T09:00:03-07:00Jaspers Pull Easy Foe In MEAC's Pirates
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mCxAulKsfKXmWOe2ZuSQzhYMcP4=/91x0:2733x1761/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45904074/usa-today-8435024.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Some curious committee decisions lead to what should be an easy opening game for Steve Masiello's Manhattan squad.</p> <p>If anybody out there can explain to me how it is that a team like Manhattan winds up at the <i>very bottom</i> of the bracket, below teams like Lafayette and Coastal Carolina and on par with North Florida and Robert Morris, I am all ears.</p>
<p>If you can explain how that happens, while teams like UAB, Georgia State and Albany wind up with a No. 14 beside their names, I am still listening.</p>
<p>Once you are done, I will proceed to tell you how, by just about every single metric out there, Manhattan is at least two steps better than every single team I just listed.</p>
<p><b>The Matchup</b></p>
<p>In the red corner, you have the Jaspers, owners of 13 wins in the Metro Atlantic, whom <a href="http://www.midmajormadness.com/2015-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament/2015/3/11/8188439/2015-ncaa-tournament-team-preview-maac-champion-manhattan-jaspers" target="_blank">I covered much more optimistically</a> before I found out their seed. Their resume was probably damaged some by the fact that the MAAC title tilt against Iona was their ninth game of the season against an RPI Top 100 team, but it was only their first win against that group. They also managed to lose by more than 10 points to teams with an RPI above 220 four times this season, so there's another ding in their armor.</p>
<p>That said, they face a Hampton team that is unlikely to pose much of a threat for them. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is well known as one of the worst conferences in all of Division I basketball, and prior to the four-game win streak that sent them dancing, the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/hampton-pirates" class="sbn-auto-link">Pirates</a> were 12-17, which included a six-game losing streak during conference play.</p>
<p>Hampton is just as experienced as Manhattan - they only have four underclassmen who have seen the court, and those four have only played a combined 600 or so minutes all season. That experience hadn't translated to any success, though. The Pirates rank in the bottom 50 in Division I in adjusted offensive efficiency, three-point percentage, and free throw percentage, and are only slightly better than that in effective field goal percentage and turnover percentage.</p>
<p>While Manhattan has <span>Emmy Andujar</span>, <span>Shane Richards</span>, <span>Ashton Pankey</span>, and several other returning players, Hampton has <span>Dwight Meikle</span> and a bunch of other players. He is not just their leading scorer, but also their most efficient shooter by a substantial margin (and he might not even play given that he has been out with an ankle injury since the final game of the season) . I expect the Jaspers to key on him if he plays and force some combination of <span>Reggie Johnson</span>, <span>Deron Powers</span> and <span>Quinton Chievous</span> to beat them instead.</p>
<p>This is a good recipe, since between those three you have one good outside shooter, one good free throw shooter, and one good inside shooter (and they aren't the same person). KenPom's number give Manhattan a 72 percent chance to win, which I agree with, but also a 74-68 final score, which I think is extremely generous to the Pirates.</p>
<p><b>Prediction:</b> Manhattan 76, Hampton 56</p>
https://www.midmajormadness.com/2015-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament/2015/3/16/8220979/2015-ncaa-tournament-first-four-preview-mahattan-jaspers-hampton-piratesNicolas A. Lewis2015-03-15T14:15:01-07:002015-03-15T14:15:01-07:00Can Aggies Use Experience To Their Advantage?
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<figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Aggies are not the same team they were earlier this season... though they're just as dangerous as the last three times they went dancing.</p> <p>Here we go again with all of the pronunciation. Why do all the teams in the bottom of the bracket have to have such complex rosters this season?! Let's cover the basics for all you n00bs out there, shall we? There are three complicated ones on this squad:</p>
<ul>
<li><span><span>Tshilidzi Nephawe</span> (Cha-LEE-ZEE Ne-POW-WAY, but you can call him "Chili" for short like the lazy announcers do)</span></li>
<li><span><span>Pascal Siakam</span> (SAI-uh-COM)</span></li>
<li><span><span>Tanveer Bhullar</span> (Tan-VEER BOO-lahr).</span></li>
</ul>
<p>Take a few hours to get 'em down, because you'll damn sure be saying those first two a lot.</p>
<p>The Aggies may not be deep (primarily a seven-man rotation), but holy crap are they experienced. This team boasts four seniors - Nephawe, <span>Daniel Mullings</span>, <span>Remi Barry</span> and <span>D.K. Eldridge</span> - in that rotation, all of whom will be making their fourth tournament appearance.</p>
<h3>Top Player - Pascal Siakam</h3>
<p>Again, that's SAI-uh-COM. The conference freshman of the year (per both normal people <i>and</i> Ken Pomeroy), and he earned it. He posted a 61.1 TS% and finished 26th nationally in offensive rebound percentage, including a 13 point, 13 rebound performance against Colorado State in a near-upset. He averaged 13.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, but he regularly topped those numbers, including seven double-doubles and a three-game stretch in mid-February where he averaged 20 and 8 per game.</p>
<p>It's hard to refer to Mullings or Nephawe as the team's <i>top</i> player, if only because each has missed a third of the season and has not been completely on point every night when they <i>have</i> been healthy. I'd be willing to listen to your case if you'd care to debate, though.</p>
<h3>Player that Makes You Sound Smart - Daniel Mullings</h3>
<p>Honestly, being able to talk about this game without mispronouncing any player names will be a great start for you.</p>
<p>Seriously though; that honor will probably go to Mullings. Nephawe is doing more or less what he did last season; Mullings is still figuring this season out, but we can cut him some slack while he finishes getting back from missing two months with a broken finger on his shooting hand. That can kind of mess with your rhythm a bit.</p>
<p>The fact that he missed a third of the season and still narrowly missed leading the team in free-throw attempts should tell you something about his value within the offense. That same athleticism helped Mullings rank 33rd in the nation in steal rate per KenPom, a good balance for a team that was one of the 20 worst in all of Division 1 in terms of turning the ball over on offense.</p>
<p>Last season, he was the team's offensive leader by a wide margin. This year, the arrival of Siakam and the growth of <span>Ian Baker</span> and Eldridge (in part because of his own absence) has meant he hasn't had to play that role. It will be interesting to see whether he can if it becomes necessary.</p>
<p>Mullings (like the team as a whole) is still rounding into form, and it speaks well of the team's development that his 107.1 ORtg is fourth on the team.</p>
<h3>What to Expect from New Mexico State</h3>
<p>When this team is focused, they are on: they're an above average shooting team that rebounds at an elite level on the offensive glass (due no doubt to some good size and athleticism in the post) and excels at defending the long ball.</p>
<p>It's also hard to say exactly what the Aggies are, just yet. They damn near knocked off a very strong Colorado State squad, and that was without Nephawe <i>or</i> Mullings, each of whom missed a dozen games. NMSU is 13-0 since everyone got back and healthy, but that doesn't tell you much when all 13 wins came against teams with an RPI higher than 275.</p>
<p>This is really the same team that scared the crap out of a four-seed San Diego State team last year, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if they did the exact same thing again this season. They have zero fear, and they have a lot of great skills; a first round upset would be no shock, but any advancement beyond that probably would be. You need a deep roster to make a deep run, and someone will eventually find their weak spot (hint: it's their bench).</p>
https://www.midmajormadness.com/2015-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament/2015/3/15/8217613/2015-ncaa-tournament-preview-wac-champion-new-mexico-state-aggiesNicolas A. Lewis2015-03-15T13:47:03-07:002015-03-15T13:47:03-07:00#FreeUAB Is Going Dancing, Viewers Beware
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<figcaption>Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Perhaps they're too young to realize they shouldn't be here - because quite honestly, they shouldn't.</p> <p>This UAB Blazer squad is one of the least experienced teams you will see in the tournament field - actually, to be exact, your top-seeded <a href="https://www.aseaofblue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Kentucky Wildcats</a> are the <i>only</i> team in the tournament (and one of only six teams in all of Division I) with less experience than UAB. Their entire roster features one junior and two seniors, and one of those two seniors played a whopping 25 minutes this season.</p>
<p>That green look about this team is not just their uniforms.</p>
<p>Perhaps that metric could explain this one: the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/uab-blazers" class="sbn-auto-link">Blazers</a> posted an 8-1 record against Conference USA squads with a higher RPI than them during the regular season - but still only managed a 12-6 conference record overall. They even posted a putrid 6-3 record against teams with an RPI of 240 or higher.</p>
<p>Will we see the Blazer team that came *thisclose* to going 3-0 against Louisiana Tech while also giving Illinois State and LSU a run for their money? Or will we see the team that struggled with the likes of Florida Atlantic? Hard to say for sure, but considering how they got into the tournament, it <a target="_blank" href="http://www.underdogdynasty.com/2014/11/7/7175707/does-uab-football-have-a-future">just might be their year</a> to have some luck come their way.</p>
<h3>Top Player - <span>Robert Brown</span>
</h3>
<p>Although this depends on how you define "top," I guess. He's the Blazers' leading scorer, which is a little depressing considering he can't even crack 40 percent shooting from the field (which is backed up by his 41.7 eFG%). The Virginia Tech-transfer is fairly average on offense from an efficiency perspective, and it would seem like a fairly accurate microcosm for the team at large, since average is probably the best they can strive for as a group.</p>
<p>Brown's 22 points in the CUSA title game - or his 27 against Illinois State - show what he is capable of when he is firing on all cylinders. His seven points against Louisiana-Monroe, two points against UCLA, and five points against Florida Atlantic are equal evidence of just how inconsistently all those cylinders are firing.</p>
<h3>Player that Makes You Sound Smart - <span>Nick Norton</span>, <span>William Lee</span>
</h3>
<p>Two of the freshmen that are carrying this team throughout the season, Norton is a sharpshooter who has lit it up from downtown several times this season, including 26 points in the overtime win against Charlotte and 17 in their Bahamas tilt against UCLA.</p>
<p>Lee has come on late for the Blazers, as his 7.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg season line hides his 11.9 and 7.9 averages from the last ten games. He has played well on the defensive glass, and his growth has meant a lot to a team in desperate need of someone other than <span>C.J. Washington</span> down low (Washington is first on the team in percentage of possessions that end with him handling the ball, despite being dead last on the team in eFG% and TS%).</p>
<h3>What to Expect from UAB</h3>
<p>Well, for one thing, a whole freaking lot of #FreeUAB signs. A national audience for the program will mean a whole lot of conversation about the currently extinct football team, which should make for very entertaining events in and around the city of Birmingham. Check out that link I popped in earlier on if you <i>really</i> want to climb down that rabbit hole.</p>
<p>Honestly, this is a group that is very likely to be overmatched by whatever team they play. Blocking shots, rebounding on offense, and making free throws are the only things they really do at an above average level as a team, and that's just not enough to compete when you're looking up at a team from outside your own conference.</p>
<p>I fully expect this to be one of those games where you tune in early and see some great effort, and some close scores... and then tune in again later and go "well, it was nice while it lasted."</p>
https://www.midmajormadness.com/2015-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament/2015/3/15/8217615/2015-ncaa-tournament-preview-conference-usa-champion-uab-blazersNicolas A. Lewis2015-03-14T22:32:34-07:002015-03-14T22:32:34-07:00NMSU Dancing Again. *Yawn*
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<figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It very briefly appeared that Seattle might have a little Aggie kryptonite left in their pockets. Then the game started.</p> <p>On the surface, this would seem like a mismatch. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/new-mexico-st-aggies">New Mexico State Aggies</a> came into tonight having lost only one game since December 29th, while winning the other 17. They would face off against a Seattle University Redhawks team that had to win three of their last four just to finish at .500 in conference play.</p>
<p>Easy win, right? Maybe, except that one loss for the Aggies was on the road at Seattle. So nothing was guaranteed tonight.</p>
<p>Then again, maybe the difference between these two teams really is that stark, especially with <span>Daniel Mullings</span> back from injury. Sure, Seattle was getting a few easy buckets by tossing lobs in behind a less-than-airtight NMSU zone defense in the first half, but they were also missing the easiest of baskets as well. Exhibit A, by <span>Jack Crook</span>:</p>
<p><iframe src="https://vine.co/v/O9lEtQa7KZD/embed/simple" width="600" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Meanwhile, New Mexico State, and specifically <span>Remi Barry</span>, were jacking threes over the top of the Redhawk defense, dropping a total of five to help them push their halftime lead to 33-22. It probably didn't help Seattle's cause that they could not figure out the Aggie defense (the press or the zone) consistently, as evidenced by their finishing the half with nine total rebounds against eight turnovers.</p>
<p>The announcers described the Aggie defense as "five energizer bunnies" which is probably a bit of an exaggeration, helped by the Redhawks doing things like <i>repeatedly picking up the dribble at halfcourt. </i>Against even an above average defensive team, you might as well just hand the ball over then.</p>
<p>Perhaps the most accurate description of Seattle U's first half was when <span>Isiah Umipig</span> drained a three right before the half... and it didn't count because it was a shot clock violation. Freshman Jadon Cohee, who averaged 5.3 ppg entering tonight and who had topped six points nine times all season, was the leading scorer at the half with - you guessed it - six points.</p>
<p> </p>
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<p>I turn to our fearless leader Ben Miraski for the commentary on this one:</p>
<p><i>"Joe, Seattle crossed half court knowing full well this would go badly. He had won a contest to be a Redhawk for a day. It was not going well. When two Aggies, guns out and blazing approached, he knew he was done for."</i></p>
<p>And yet, nobody seemed to be enjoying the Aggie domination.</p>
<blockquote lang="en" class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Smile!!! Your team is winning. This is supposed to be fun. <a href="http://t.co/1Yo6nqj2OC">pic.twitter.com/1Yo6nqj2OC</a></p>
— Mid-Major Madness (@mid_madness) <a href="https://twitter.com/mid_madness/status/576964046190194688">March 15, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
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<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
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<p>Granted, when you look at the stat sheet, stopping the Redhawks is not hard. Umipig and <span>Jarell Flora</span> are half the team's offense, and they make their hay from long range. Stop those two, and you have a great chance.</p>
<p>The Aggies did exactly that, holding that pair to a combined 4-for-13 from the field. They each made a three early on, but that was about it despite Umipig's 13 points, as Seattle only had three times all game where they scored on consecutive possessions.</p>
<p>Cohee will probably do some big things for the Redhawks in many games to come, especially if he can turn his 16 point effort tonight into a regular occurrence, but the Aggies are doing big things <i>right now</i>. <span>Tshilidzi Nephawe</span> finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, plus another 21 points for Barry.</p>
<p>The Aggies are going dancing for the fifth time in the last six seasons, and they looked good getting there.</p>
https://www.midmajormadness.com/2015/3/14/8217605/2015-wac-championship-new-mexico-state-vs-seattle-university-finalNicolas A. Lewis2015-03-12T05:00:03-07:002015-03-12T05:00:03-07:00Eagles VS Eagles: I Watch A MEAC Game On Purpose
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<figcaption>Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Because of course I looked at my computer screen and saw the final score and thought "how bad could this train wreck have possibly been?"</p> <p>In any postseason conference tournament, it can be a challenge to advance, as you play teams you are very familiar with, and who know just as much about you. The best play the worst, and the two wind up in those slots for fairly apparent reasons.</p>
<p>Except in the MEAC. It is well known to those who follow this conference that seeding quite literally means nothing come conference tournament time. In fact, the MEAC recently had a multi-year stretch where the top seed didn't even win a game, let alone the conference's autobid.</p>
<p>Given that information, you could argue that <span>Jordan Parks</span>' layup with 11 seconds left to defeat Coppin State when they met in the regular season is a result that is either extremely useful or completely goddamn worthless as a predictive tool.</p>
<p>Good news, owner of that second opinion, you were absolutely right. Because the Eagles (of NCCU) didn't <i>just</i> beat the Eagles (of Coppin State) by a final tally of 91-43. It could be argued that the game wasn't even <i>that</i> close.</p>
<p>Consider the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<span>Coppin's two leading scorers, <span>Arnold Fripp</span> and <span>Taariq Cephas</span>, combined to shoot 8-for-16 from the floor and 5-for-7 from 3-point range for a solid 23 points. The </span><i>rest of the team</i><span> shot 7-for-34 and was just a hot mess.</span>
</li>
<li><span>In the last 14 minutes of game action, Coppin turned the ball over 12 times, and also missed 12 of the 14 field goals they attempted.</span></li>
<li>
<span>That included a stretch of 3:22 where they didn't attempt a shot. Not didn't </span><i>make</i><span> a shot, </span><i><b>didn't even attempt</b></i><span> a single shot.</span>
</li>
<li><span>North Carolina Central scored 52 points in the paint. They could have missed every shot they took from outside of about 10 feet and still won this game by 28.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>Granted, the result from last night probably makes a lot more sence than NCCU's two-point victory in January, considering the massive size and experience discrepancy. One-third of Coppin's nine-man rotation is 5'10" or shorter, while every NCCU player is at least six foot tall; NCCU <i>starts</i> four seniors, while half of Coppin's six seniors play sparingly.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>I think the matchup between Parks and Coppin State's Jerimyjah Batts was a great example of everything that was bound to go wrong in this game. Parks is a 6' 7", 200 pound lanky and quick athlete who has just about every skill you could want from a post player; Batts is a 6'8" 255 pound brick who is... good at being big.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Multiple times in the first half, Batts was matched up on Parks and had to just watch helplessly as his poor agility, poor footwork, and overall slow play was exploited for easy baskets. He's lucky he wasn't called for a flagrant foul on his shove of <span>Karamo Jawara</span> under the basket.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>The second half was more of the same; uninspired basketball where Coppin's complete absence of any post game meant a lot of shooting, not so much passing, and even fewer made baskets.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Oh hey, look. What's up, <span>Jeremiah Ingram</span> and <span>Enoch Hood</span>? Yeah, you're going to be fun to watch next season.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Why did I watch this game again?</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>North Carolina Central played some of the sloppiest, most uninspired basketball I've seen all season in the second half... and they <i>still</i> out-scored Coppin State 33-8 in the last 14 minutes.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Highlights from the announcing of this game:</div>
<div><i><br></i></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span><i>"I, like Coppin State, am just reaching for anything at this point."</i></span></li>
<li><span><i>"And who?[silence]...Guess who?[more silence]...Guess who?[still nothing]... That young man Jordan Parks."<br></i></span></li>
<li><span><i>"North Carolina Central, who I'm going to start referring to as the Cobra Kai, because they show no mercy."</i></span></li>
<li><span>Also, the fact that they could not figure out why Nimrod Hilliard's left thumb was taped for the entire second half (he jammed it deflecting a pass in the first half).</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
https://www.midmajormadness.com/2015/3/12/8198481/coppin-state-vs-north-carolina-central-meac-tournament-features-eagleNicolas A. Lewis