The Greatest NCAA Tournament That Never Was–The Sweet 16 Thursday

We are down to 16 teams in our greatest teams between 1960 and 2019. Let’s get right to the results for the Sweet 16 Games in the East and South Regions.  The Midwest and West Regions play on Friday.

 

EAST REGION

 

Wolf Pack Pull Away In Second Half

 

1974 North Carolina St.	82
1978 Kentucky	70

After a close first half, the 1974 North Carolina State Wolf Pack pulled away from the 1978 Kentucky Wildcats with a 14-5 run over four minutes that increased a two-point lead to 11.

David Thompson scored 9 of his 21 points during this run, and additionally, in this four-minute segment of the game, he forced Mike Phillips to foul him twice, and he stole the ball away from Rick Robey.

Kentucky led for most of the first half, after the Wildcats started the game connecting on seven of their first 11 shots from the field.  N.C. State turned up the defensive pressure and finished the half on a 10-3 run to take a one-point lead at the half.

After an opening seven minutes of the second half that saw the lead change hands five times, the Wolf Pack went on their run to take command of the game, and they cruised to victory.

 

Boxscore
North Carolina St.	Start	FG	FGA	3P	3PA	FT	FTA	ORB	DRB	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
Tom Burleson	C	8	14	0	0	5	8	3	12	15	1	0	2	2	3	21
Tim Stoddard	F	3	7	0	0	2	2	1	6	7	0	1	1	1	4	8
David Thompson	F	8	17	2	6	3	4	4	4	8	2	1	0	3	3	21
Mo Rivers	G	4	8	2	4	1	2	0	2	2	4	2	0	3	3	11
Monte Towe	G	5	12	3	7	4	4	0	1	1	5	2	0	4	3	17
Phil Spence		2	4	0	0	0	0	2	4	6	0	0	0	1	3	4
Greg Hawkins		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	0	0	1	2	0
Team										3
Totals		30	62	7	17	15	20	10	30	43	13	6	3	15	21	82
Kentucky	Start	FG	FGA	3P	3PA	FT	FTA	ORB	DRB	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
Rick Robey	C	7	15	0	0	2	4	1	4	5	0	0	0	4	2	16
Mike Phillips	F	3	7	0	0	1	2	2	7	9	0	0	1	1	4	7
Jack Givens	F	5	13	2	7	5	7	1	3	4	2	1	0	3	2	17
Truman Claytor	G	1	4	1	3	2	2	1	2	3	1	2	0	2	3	5
Kyle Macy	G	3	8	2	6	6	6	0	1	1	4	1	0	2	2	14
James Lee		2	5	0	0	1	2	1	3	4	0	0	0	1	2	5
Jay Shidler		2	4	2	4	0	0	0	1	1	2	0	0	1	1	6
LaVon Williams		0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	1	1	0	0	2	0
Team										3
Totals		23	57	7	20	17	23	6	23	32	10	5	1	14	18	70
Player of the Game	Tom Burleson

Score By Halves
Team	1	2	Final
N.C. State	38	44	82
Kentucky	37	33	70

 

 

Cavaliers’ Defense Shuts Down Hot Shooting Hoosiers

 

2019 Virginia	67
1987 Indiana	60

 

After blistering the nets in their first two NCAA Tournament games, the 1987 Indiana Hoosiers could not solve 2019 Virginia’s Pack Line Defense and shot just 35.3% from the field and 28.6% from behind the arc.

Indiana’s poor shooting night began immediately, as the Hoosiers missed on their first six attempts from the field.  They were only down 8-2 when Rick Callaway made IU’s first basket.

By the time the Hoosiers connected on their next basket, a three-pointer by Steve Alford, they trailed 12-5.

Virginia maintained the lead for the remainder of the game, never leading by less than six points.  The Cavaliers enjoyed an eight-point halftime lead, and they extended the lead to as much as 14 points in the second half at 48-34.

Indiana mounted its only charge of the game with a 13-6 run to cut the lead to 54-47, but UVa extended the lead back to 10 on a three-pointer by Kyle Guy.

Down the stretch, Virginia hit all six of their foul shots when Indiana players sent them to the line.

 

Boxscore
Virginia	Start	FG	FGA	3P	3PA	FT	FTA	ORB	DRB	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
Mamadi Diakete	C	6	11	0	0	2	3	3	4	7	1	0	3	2	2	14
De’Andre Hunter	F	3	8	1	3	0	0	1	5	6	2	0	0	1	4	7
Guy Jerome	F	4	11	1	3	2	2	0	3	3	2	1	1	2	4	11
Kyle Guy	G	5	13	2	5	3	4	0	2	2	3	1	0	1	3	15
Kihei Clark	G	2	4	1	2	5	5	0	3	3	3	2	0	0	2	10
Braxton Key		2	4	0	1	4	5	1	5	6	1	0	0	1	3	8
Jack Salt		1	2	0	0	0	0	0	4	4	0	0	2	0	2	2
Jay Huff		0	2	0	2	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	1	0
Team										2
Totals		23	55	5	16	16	19	5	27	34	12	4	6	8	21	67
Indiana	Start	FG	FGA	3P	3PA	FT	FTA	ORB	DRB	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
Dean Garrett	C	4	9	0	0	2	4	1	7	8	1	0	2	1	3	10
Daryl Thomas	F	4	10	0	0	4	4	3	4	7	2	0	1	2	2	12
Rick Callaway	F	3	10	0	0	2	3	2	5	7	2	2	1	4	3	8
Keith Smart	G	3	10	2	7	5	5	0	6	6	1	0	0	1	3	13
Steve Alford	G	3	9	2	6	7	7	0	3	3	2	1	0	3	2	15
Steve Eyl		1	1	0	0	0	0	1	4	5	0	0	0	0	2	2
Joe Hillman		0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	1	0	0
Kreigh Smith		0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Team										1
Totals		18	51	4	14	20	23	7	29	37	10	3	4	12	17	60
Player of the Game	Kyle Guy

 

Score By Halves
Team	1	2	Final
Virginia	31	36	67
Indiana	23	37	60

 

SOUTH REGION

 

’70 Bruins Too Strong For ’64 Bruins

 

1970 UCLA	104
1964 UCLA	93

The 1970 UCLA Bruins are beginning to look like a Final Four contender after winning their third consecutive game by double digits in Simulated March Madness.  In their three tournament wins, their average margin of victory has been 19 points per game.

Even though the 1964 team forced 24 turnovers, the 1970 doubled the 1964 team in rebounding, and blocked 10 of the smaller 1964 team’s shots.

A hot start by their top guards, Walt Hazzard and Gail Goodrich, allowed the 1964 team to keep the game close throughout the first half.  The 1970 team grabbed the lead six minutes into the game on back-to-back shots by Sidney Wicks and John Vallely.

The 1964 team tied the game at 29-29 on a steal by Keith Erickson, and a pass to Goodrich, who then passed across to Jack Hirsch for the basket.  The 1970 then took the lead for good on a basket by Curtis Rowe and then a basket and a foul shot by Henry Bibby.

 

Boxscore
1970 UCLA	Start	FG	FGA	3P	3PA	FT	FTA	ORB	DRB	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
Steve Patterson	C	6	12	0	0	1	2	3	6	9	1	0	2	4	3	13
Sidney Wicks	F	8	15	0	0	6	7	6	13	19	3	1	5	3	4	22
Curtis Rowe	F	9	16	2	3	8	8	4	11	15	2	2	3	3	4	28
John Vallely	G	6	13	3	7	4	7	0	5	5	4	0	0	6	3	19
Henry Bibby	G	5	9	2	4	5	6	0	3	3	4	2	0	4	3	17
John Ecker		0	0	0	0	1	2	1	2	3	0	0	0	2	4	1
Jon Chapman		1	2	0	1	0	0	0	1	1	2	0	0	1	4	2
Bill Seibert		1	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	0	0	1	1	2
Team										4
Totals		36	68	7	15	25	32	14	42	60	17	5	10	24	26	104
1964 UCLA	Start	FG	FGA	3P	3PA	FT	FTA	ORB	DRB	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
Fred Slaughter	C	4	10	0	0	1	3	1	3	4	2	2	0	2	5	9
Keith Erickson	F	4	13	1	5	2	3	2	4	6	3	4	0	1	4	11
Jack Hirsch	F	5	12	1	4	3	4	2	2	4	1	1	0	0	5	14
Walt Hazzard	G	8	16	4	9	5	7	1	2	3	3	2	0	2	3	25
Gail Goodrich	G	9	20	5	12	6	9	0	3	3	4	3	0	3	3	29
Kenny Washington		2	4	0	0	0	2	1	5	6	1	2	1	0	4	4
Doug McIntosh		0	1	0	0	1	1	0	1	1	1	0	0	0	2	1
Kim Stewart		0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
Team										3
Totals		32	77	11	30	18	29	7	20	30	15	14	1	8	29	93
Player of the Game	Sidney Wicks

 

Score By Halves
Team	1	2	Final
1970 UCLA	54	50	104
1964 UCLA	37	56	93

 

 

Big Comeback Sends Villanova To The Elite 8

 

2018 Villanova	78
1992 Duke	72

 

The Duke Blue Devils looked invincible for 24 minutes of their Sweet 16 game against Villanova.  Duke led by as much as 16 points in the first half, before going to the dressing room up by nine at the break.

The Blue Devils increased their halftime lead from nine to 15 to start the second half, and with 16 minutes remaining, they led 48-33.  At that point, the Wildcats began to make their move.  A three-pointer by Jalen Brunson, and then a putback basket by Eric Paschall cut the lead to 48-38.

Trailing 59-50, The Wildcats then held Duke scoreless for almost four minutes, while they scored nine straight points to tie the game at 59-59.  The game remained close until the final moments, when with Villanova nursing a four-point lead, Duke fouled multiple times, while VU connected on 8 of 8 to extend the lead to 78-69.  A Bobby Hurley three-pointer on Duke’s final possession made the game look a little closer.

 

Boxscore
Villanova	Start	FG	FGA	3P	3PA	FT	FTA	ORB	DRB	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
Omari Spellman	C	6	12	2	5	0	0	2	4	6	3	1	2	2	3	14
Eric Paschall	F	2	7	1	3	3	4	2	5	7	1	2	2	1	4	8
Michael Bridges	F	3	7	2	4	4	6	0	4	4	1	0	0	3	2	12
Phil Booth	G	3	7	1	2	6	6	0	2	2	3	1	0	2	2	13
Jalen Brunson	G	8	14	3	6	4	5	0	3	3	4	0	0	4	3	23
Donte DiVincenzo		2	5	2	5	0	0	1	4	5	2	0	0	2	2	6
Collin Gillespie		0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	1	1	1	1	3	0
Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree		1	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	2
Team										2
Totals		25	54	11	25	17	21	5	25	32	15	5	5	15	20	78
Duke	Start	FG	FGA	3P	3PA	FT	FTA	ORB	DRB	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
Christian Laettner	C	5	11	1	3	4	6	1	7	8	1	0	2	3	4	15
Brian Davis	F	2	6	0	1	0	0	2	3	5	2	1	0	1	2	4
Grant Hill	F	6	13	0	0	5	6	2	3	5	3	0	2	2	1	17
Thomas Hill	G	3	7	1	3	3	4	1	5	6	2	2	0	3	5	10
Bobby Hurley	G	5	12	3	7	4	4	0	1	1	3	2	0	3	2	17
Antonio Lang		2	3	0	0	0	0	1	4	5	1	0	1	2	2	4
Cherokee Parks		2	4	0	0	1	2	2	2	4	0	0	0	2	2	5
Marty Clark		0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0
Team										3
Totals		25	57	5	15	17	22	9	25	37	13	5	5	16	19	72
Player of the Game	Jalen Brunson

 

Score By Halves
Team	1	2	Final
Villanova	29	49	78
Duke	38	34	72

Four more Sweet 16 Games Will Be Revealed Friday.