basketball

Cornell lived up to its billing, showing why it's the best team to come out of the Ivy League in more than a decade. Louis Dale scored 21 points, Ryan Wittman had 20 and Jeff Foote added 16 points and seven rebounds to lead 12th-seeded Cornell to its first win in five NCAA Tournament appearances, a 78-65 victory over No. 5 seed Temple yesterday in the East Regional. "Everyone was saying we were Cinderella or it's an upset. Not us," Cornell sophomore Chris Wroblewski said.

Everyone was saying we were Cinderella or it's an upset. Not us   -Chris Wroblewski

 

Brittney Griner wasn't her usual aggressive self at the start of her first game back from a two-game suspension for punching an opponent. Baylor coach Kim Mulkey needs her talented freshman to get back into form quickly or else this season could come to an early finish. The fourth-seeded Bears take on No. 13 seed Fresno State on Saturday in Berkeley in the first round of the Memphis Regional.  

From living rooms to bar stools to barbershops, local fans obsessed with the madness of March. Hope Beach, 11, stared intently at a corner television at Jax Sports Grille last week as her Kansas State Wildcats opened postseason play in the Big 12 Tournament. Beach, of Pierceville, was joined by her father, Garet Beach.  

Don't get me wrong. I am a Hornets fans and want to see them succeed and contend for a playoff spot every season. But this season has just been hard to watch.  

This weekend, basketball fans everywhere are studying their bracket sheets hoping the choices made will guarantee bragging rights amongst their co-workers, family and friends as the NCAA college basketball tournament, also commonly referred to as "March Madness," is now underway. Hoop enthusiasts across the country undoubtedly snuck a quick peak at a television monitor somewhere within the office or school building last Thursday or Friday, if in fact they didn't devise a plan to orchestrate one of those  

Mississippi State rebounded nicely from its loss to second-ranked Kentucky in the finals of the SEC Tournament by upending Jackson State in the opening round of the NIT Tuesday. Now, the rejuvenated Bulldogs face another monumental task today when defending national champion North Carolina visits Humphrey Coliseum for the first time ever in an 11 a.m. showdown televised by ESPN. It will mark the fifth meeting between the two, with the Tar Heels holding a 4-0 lead in a series that's been on hiatus sinc

They may be down from last year, but they still have seven McDonald’s All-Americans on their team   -Rick Stansbury

 

Mississippi guard Terrico White, struggling with inconsistent shooting for most of the season, picked the best time of the year to regain his touch. White scored 21 points, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range, as the Rebels defeated Memphis 90-81 Friday in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament. Ole Miss advanced to the quarterfinals and will host today's Texas Tech-Jacksonville winner on Tuesday.

It feels good to see my shots going down again   -Terrico White

 

Down to their last chance to experience success on college basketball's biggest stage, seniors Ryan Wittman, Louis Dale and Jeff Foote paced the school to its first win in five NCAA appearances. Dale scored 21 points and Wittman, the Ivy League player of the year, had 20 for the Big Red, who led the nation in 3-point shooting this season and have three other elements — strong guard play, experienced leadership and a 7-foot center in Foote — that make them a threat to play beyond the first weekend of the

When you play at that pace — we scored 86 points but only had nine turnovers. That’s efficient basketball   -Mike Anderson

 

Even though many acknowledged that the Cornell Big Red were underseeded in the aftermath of Selection Sunday, it was still a toss-up in regards to whether or not they would beat Temple. But in a game matching mentor (Fran Dunphy) and one-time assistant (Steve Donohue), it was Coach Donohue's team that took control of the game for good in the second half via the three-point shot (Ryan Wittman) on their way to the 78-65 win in Jacksonville. It was the first win for the Ivy League in the NCAA Tournament sinc

I think when we're playing good defense, we're playing aggressively   -Ryan Wittman

 

Before leaving his home in Glens Falls, N.Y., to begin a prolific college basketball career at BYU, Jimmer Fredette spent time in prison. He chose to. As an 18-year-old who had never committed a crime, Fredette regularly visited nearby penitentiaries with his older brother and played competitive basketball with the inmates.

To get to the recreational facility where the basketball court is, you’ve got to walk right through the yard   -Jimmer Fredette