FrontRowSportsReport.com: Sports Blog

The 2008 NCAA Basketball Tournament selections are set and of course we have teams that are happy and teams that are upset they weren’t selected. Doesn’t matter anymore because we are ready for some March Madness. Below is the complete first round for the 2008 NCAA Basketball Tournament . Be sure to join our FREE 2008 NCAA Basketball Tournament Challenge where the winner takes home $100 - click here to create your free entry.

EAST (Charlotte, N.C.)

Raleigh, N.C.
Friday, March 21
No. 1 North Carolina (32-2) vs. No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s-Coppin State winner
No. 8 Indiana (25-7) vs. No. 9 Arkansas (22-11)

Denver
Thursday, March 20
No. 5 Notre Dame (24-7) vs. No. 12 George Mason (23-10)
No. 4 Washington State (24-8) vs. No. 13 Winthrop (22-11)

Birmingham, Ala.
Friday, March 21
No. 2 Tennessee (29-4) vs. No. 15 American (21-11)
No. 7 Butler (29-3) vs. No. 10 South Alabama (26-6)

No. 3 Louisville (24-8) vs. No. 14 Boise State (25-8)
No. 6 Oklahoma (22-11) vs. No. 11 Saint Joseph’s (21-12)

MIDWEST (Detroit)

Omaha, Neb.
Thursday, March 20
No. 1 Kansas (31-3) vs. No. 16 Portland State (23-9)
No. 8 UNLV (26-7) vs. No. 9 Kent State (28-6)

Tampa, Fla.
Friday, March 21
No. 5 Clemson (24-9) vs. No. 12 Villanova (20-12)
No. 4 Vanderbilt (26-7) vs. No. 13 Siena (22-10)

Raleigh, N.C.
Friday, March 21
No. 2 Georgetown (27-5) vs. No. 15 UMBC (24-8)
No. 7 Gonzaga (25-7) vs. No. 10 Davidson (26-6)

Omaha, Neb.
Thursday, March 20
No. 3 Wisconsin (29-4) vs. No. 14 Cal State Fullerton (24-8)
No. 6 Southern California (21-11) vs. No. 11 Kansas State (20-11)

SOUTH (Houston)

Little Rock, Ark.
Friday, March 21
No. 1 Memphis (33-1) vs. No. 16 Texas Arlington (21-11)
No. 8 Mississippi State (22-10) vs. No. 9 Oregon (18-13)

Denver
Thursday, March 20
No. 5 Michigan State (25-8) vs. No. 12 Temple (21-12)
No. 4 Pitt (26-9) vs. No. 13 Oral Roberts (24-8)

Little Rock, Ark.
Friday, March 21
No. 2 Texas (28-6) vs. No. 15 Austin Peay (24-10)
No. 7 Miami (Fla.) (22-10) vs. No. 10 Saint Mary’s (25-6)

Anaheim, Calif.
Thursday, March 20
No. 3 Stanford (26-7) vs. No. 14 Cornell (22-5)
No. 6 Marquette (24-9) vs. No. 11 Kentucky (18-12)

WEST (Phoenix)

Anaheim, Calif.
Thursday, March 20
No. 1 UCLA (31-3) vs. No. 16 Mississippi Valley State (17-15)
No. 8 BYU (27-7) vs. No. 9 Texas A&M (24-10)

Tampa, Fla.
Friday, March 21
No. 5 Drake (28-4) vs. No. 12 Western Kentucky (27-6)
No. 4 Connecticut (24-8) vs. No. 13 San Diego (21-13)

Washington, D.C.
Thursday, March 20
No. 2 Duke (27-5) vs. No. 15 Belmont (25-8)
No. 7 West Virginia (24-10) vs. No. 10 Arizona (19-14)

Washington, D.C.
Thursday, March 20
No. 3 Xavier (27-6) vs. No. 14 Georgia (17-16)
No. 6 Purdue (24-8) vs. No. 11 Baylor (21-10)

In case you missed it, a major storm rolled through Atlanta last night and a supposed tornado roared by the Georgia Dome - which was hosting the SEC Conference Tournament. The video shows a game in progress and then halted due to the wind damage…crazy stuff



The North Carolina Tar Heels are now the new (for this week at least) #1 ranked team in the nation according to the latest College Basketball poll released a few minutes ago.  The Tennessee Volunteers were only able to hold onto the top spot for 1 week despite Bruce Pearl pleading his case. The Vols beat previously top ranked Memphis Tigers last week but then lost to #14 Vanderbilt a few days later.

The Tar Heels (27-2) were the preseason #1 and spent the first 10 weeks of the season in that spot. The UCLA Bruins moved up from 4th to 2nd, the Memphis Tigers are ranked 3rd followed by Tennessee and the Duke Blue Devils who are ranked 5th.

Here are the full top 25 college basketball rankings for the 17th week of the 2007/2008 College Basketball season.

1. North Carolina (19) 27-2
2. UCLA (6) 26-3
3. Memphis (6) 28-1
4. Tennessee 26-3
5. Duke 25-3
6. Kansas 26-3
7. Stanford 24-4
8. Wisconsin 24-4
9. Texas 24-5
10. Georgetown 24-4
11. Xavier 25-4
12. Butler 27-3
13. Louisville 24-6
14. Connecticut 23-6
15. Purdue 23-6
16. Vanderbilt 24-5
17. Indiana 24-5
18. Michigan State 23-6
19. Notre Dame 22-6
20. Marquette 21-7
21. Drake 25-4
22. Washington State 22-7
23. Gonzaga 23-6
24. Brigham Young 23-6
25. Mississippi State 20-8

The Kansas Jayhawks had to do one thing to beat the Kansas Wildcats - control all-world freshman and future #1 pick in the NBA Draft Michael Beasley. Well, the Jayhawks didn’t stop Beasley from getting his points but they did enough to easily beat the Wildcats 88-74.

Beasley got into early foul trouble but still finished with a game-high 39 points as well as 11 rebounds.  However, Kansas guard Russell Robinson put Beasley performance into perspective. “It was a quiet 39 if you ask me. He’s a real great player. He finds his way to make baskets. We got them into quick foul trouble early and kind of got them out of sync. We didn’t give them anything easy.”

The Jayhawks (26-3) were led by Brandon Rush who had 21 points and Sherron Collins who put in 18. With the win the Jayhawks are now tied for first in the Big 12 with the Texas Longhorns.  The Jayhawks also avenged a January 30th loss to Kansas State.

The Wildcats (18-10) have lost their fourth game in a row and once again showed that without Beasley they are not the same team. When Beasley got into early foul trouble the Jayhawks were able to build a big lead, but once he was back in the game it became a tighter race. However, the turning point in the game came after the half when the Jayhawks went on a 11-0 run.  Kansas State Coach Frank Martin had this to say about how the 2nd half started. “That’s what broke our backs. We had cut it to nine at one point in the first half, and then they pop it back up to 12 and we were still fine with that. But the second half starts and we give up six offensive rebounds in the first minute-and-a-half. If that’s the way you start a second half when you’re down, it’s hard to get back in the game.”

Future #1 draft pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Michael Beasley, continues to show why he is the leading candidate for Player of the Year. Last night against the 5th ranked Texas Longhorns Beasley put up a game high 30 points and 15 rebounds, that kid can score on anyone. However, Beasley was once again not enough as the Kansas State Wildcats lost to the Longhorns 74-65.

The Longhorns (24-4) were led by D.J. Augustin who put up a team high 24 points, 5 assists and 4 steals. This was the Longhorns 8th straight win as they seem to be playing their best basketball of the season just in time for March Madness. However, they will need more help from other players to go far in the NCAA tournament. Last night the team was carried by the Longhorns two guards and did not get much help from anyone else on the offensive side.

Kansas State (18-9) could not get it going (outside of Beasley) as Texas shut down the Wildcats offensive (outside of Beasley) with an aggressive zone defense. The Wildcats shot just 32 percent on the night and were just 7 of 27 from behind the arc on their way to losing their 3rd straight game.

Watching this game last night I saw two teams heading into different directions. Texas, even with little offensive help from most of their starters, played tough defense (outside of Beasley) and should make a good run at the Final Four. Kansas State on the other hand has the best player in the nation - and that might win them a few early games in the NCAA Tournament, but for them to get to even the sweet sixteen they will really have to be more then a one man show.

Michael Beasley is going to be the first player drafted in the 2008 NBA Draft, but even he can’t carry a team by himself. Despite Beasley putting up a Big 12 record 44 points the #25 Kansas State Wildcats lost to the Baylor Bears 92-86 last night in Waco, Texas.

Kansas State (18-8) was literally a 2 person team against the Bears, besides the 44 from Beasley (he also grabbed 13 rebounds) they got 31 from Bill Walker. Do the math: 86 total points - 44 from Beasley - 31 from Walker = the rest of the team scored only 11 points. That wont win you games, Big 12 Championships or NCAA Tournament games.

The Baylor Bears (18-8) were led by Curtis Jerrells who put up 24 points and 7 assists. Kevin Rogers, who put in 18 points and 10 rebounds, summed up the game. “The final score shows that two people can’t be a team. We came out and played as a team.”

K-State better figure out how to play as a team very soon since #7 ranked Texas will be coming to town on Monday. Beasley is a monster but he will need more help.