Belated Bucket Blogging- Mark Goes for the Gold

By Mark Buckets

I, Mark Buckets, have a confession to make. I apologize for being late "to the dance." In this case, I missed out on the first half of the first session of today's "Liveblogging Super Marathon."

You're probably asking yourself, why would he be late to this marathon?

The reasons must remain confidential - I can assure you that it was a worthy excuse - for fear of serious repercussions.

Anyway, let's get to this, as the second half begins in Tampa.

12:43PM- Snow warning here in Chicago. Not only that, but it's a lake effect snow warning. Good thing I don't have to drive while liveblogging. That wouldn't be pretty.

12:45PM- Drake looks extremely out of snyc against the more athletic Western Kentucky Hilltopers. Nothing is coming easy for Drake.

12:46PM- Another contested three pointer for the Bulldogs. They just can't seem to get any good looks. Kudos to the WKU defense.

12:47PM- Over in Birmingham, Tennessee is getting all they can handle from American, leading the Eagles by two early in the second....it's a game worth keeping an eye on (and of course D&D will do that for you)

12:49PM- In Little Rock - a game in which most of the country is missing out on - Miami has inched back and is in a dog fight with St.Mary's. A 6-0 run has put the Hurricanes equal with the Gaels, 33 apiece.

12:51PM- In a game that has garnered most of the early attention - and rightfully so - Gonzaga is taking it to Davidson up eight in the second half. The Bulldogs have been in control most of this game, and are showing no signs of letting up. Davidson better be careful - GU smells blood.

12:52PM- Right on cue, Tennessee goes on an 8-0 run and takes the lead by...you guessed it, 8. Ridiculously athletic starting five count: Tennesesse-5 American-1

1:00PM- This is unreal. American is staying in this game behind the three point shot. They're within four, with a little under 5:30 to play. Don't count them out.

1:03PM- Whenever Bruce Pearl experiences any kind of strain - off the court, but especially on it - the Drive & Dish staff collectively smiles.

1:11PM- The Eagles aren't going away quietly. And get this: American is outrebounding Tennessee.......by 18!

1:31PM- Looks as though Davidson's gonna overcome a bit of a deficit and beat Gonzaga.

1:33PM- Adam Morrison looking on at the RBC Center...a bit dejected

1:33PM- One of Drive & Dish's favorite - he caught our eye in torching Duke - Jack McClinton has put up 33 as Miami is on line to put away St.Mary's. This is a dangerous team going forward.

1:36PM- Tim Brando just called Klayton Korver....Kyle Korver...again

1:44PM- OOOOOvertime at the St.Pete Times Forum. (A wonderful venue, by the way.)

1:53PM- What a thriller in Tampa. You think Duke relies on the three too much? Drake has lived (erasing a huge second half deficit) with the three. Lead extended to four here in Overtime.

1:58PM- Some questionable calls here in overtime - the refs letting almost everything go - except for the phantom "charge" in regulation to give Drake new life.

1:59PM- WKU's Boris Siakam fouls Josh Young with the game tied - 30 seconds to go and Drake basketball.....Darrin Horn can't believe it.

2:00PM- I ask you this: who, from Cameroon, is named Boris?

2:03PM- Drake to the line for two after a huge series of rebounds....

2:04PM- We're tied at 98! Darrin Horn wants a timeout, another shot for Drake's Jonathan Cox.

2:05PM- Who would have expected Western Kentucky to outshoot - percentage wise - Drake from behind the arc? Tyrone Brazelton has put on a clinic, going for 33.

2:06PM- Second shot on the way for Cox...and it's GOOD! 99-98. Timeout Drake!

2:06PM- If you're WKU, you've got to get the ball in the hands of Brazelton. The guy has been lights out all day. Courtney Lee comes to mind as the man you want, but I saw Brazelton gets it...

2:07PM- Rogers get it...and drains the three..My god...WKU wins 101-99 in OT. I'm speechless.

2:08PM- Both teams combined to make 30 three's, a new...NCAA...Tournament......RECORD

2:10PM- CBS just cut to the UMBC pep band in anticipation of their game vs. Georgetown. EVERY piece of the band was decked out, head to toe, in Retrievers gear. Not impressed? They all were wearing gold and black face paint, billowing out beautiful basketball music. PROPS, BALTIMORE-COUNTY.

2:32PM- The Retrievers hanging tough early against Georgetown 21-17. Their 2-3 matchup zone was probably the only defense to throw at Georgetown. They are, in fact, overmatched physically at almost every position on the floor.

2:37PM- Butler starting to heat up. Drive & Dish - especially Mark Buckets - is a huge supporter of the Bulldogs. One thing we both agree on - Trashtalk Superstar and I - is that they are the most fundamentally sound team in the field.

2:38PM- Splash. Butler goes up eight with yet another three ball, this time from Pete Campbell, who is 4 of 6 from behind the arc.

2:45PM- Coach K press conference over on ESPNEWS. Apparently, he experienced flu-like symptoms and had a 104-degree fever during the game last night. I'm sure his team's performance didn't assist in his recovery.

2:50PM- Halftime score at the BJCC: Butler-47 South Alabama-30. It's raining threes, as Butler has filled up 8 of 17 from long range.

Butler Bob has to be happy with that first half performance.

2:52PM- Smile Greg Gumbel! You're on candid camera! I guess he had something stuck in between his incisors as I spotted him wiping his mouth before going on the air.

2:54PM- Halftime in Raleigh. UMBC hanging tough with the Hoyas, down 34-22. Big three by Summers at halftime extending the lead to 12 as time expired.

3:04PM- A.J. Price of Uconn came down awkward on his left knee as he went up for a layup. He immediately went down in a heap of pain and had to be carried off the court. He is perhaps more important to this team than Hasheem Thabet, although in different ways.

3:10PM- Interesting tidbit: Butler is 23-0 when leading at the half. That's gotta concern USA fans, for sure.

3:11PM- Look on the bright side, Jaguar fans....Your team just scored the first four points of the half on Butler turnovers. They've gotta exert their style, up the tempo and get back in the game.

3:41PM- On paper, this wave of games looked weak. Par to course, nothing has really changed that assertion. Butler, Texas and Georgetown all in control.

In the only competitive game, San Diego is surprising Uconn at the half, 34-29.

3:45PM- Jessie Sapp with the take down of the tournament. He literally pulled a UMBC player by the jersey and threw him to the ground. Should have been an intentional foul.

3:54PM- Gotta say I'm pretty disappointed in Austin Peay's performance today. Texas has just steamrolled them today. Not even close.

3:55PM- Butler well on their way to a victory. Looking ahead to the second round matchup with Tennessee, it's the classic good guy v bad guy game. I think you can put two-and-two together on that one.

3:56PM- San Diego continues to scortch Uconn from the mid range. The popular idea to attack a team with a big man is to do...just that. Today, however, USD has done a great job of drawing him out and kicking it around for the open shot.

4:02PM- Butler ends USA's misery and wins by 20. This was probably the most impressive performance of the tournament to date.

4:03PM- Am I the only one that misses Brad Sham in Westwood One's NCAA Tournament studios? I can't get into Tommy Tige's helter-skelter, can't-understand-what-your-saying schtick.

4:09PM- Not having much to cheer for today - the Austin Peay fan contingent belts out the "LET'S GO PEAY" chant. Ahhh yes, some comic relief.

4:11PM- Spencer Ross of Westwood One should work for the Greater Austin Tourism Board. During a prolonged timeout, the angelic play-by-play man raved about how great Austin is. That may be true, but what about Clarksville, TN?

4:13PM- Update from Tampa: Uconn has made a run and cut the USD lead to one. It would be poetic justice if Uconn were to lose this game as the heavy favorite. If you'll recall - and if you're reading this blog, you do - Uconn beat Duke as a huge underdog for the 1999 National Title. (That game was at Tropicana Field and this one is at the St.Pete Times Forum.)

Speaking of which: Why was that Final Four the final basketball game at the Trop? I guess that concrete facade - which was a huge complaint amongst players as a poor shooting backround - isn't pretty enough for the NCAA.


Trashtalk Superstar adds:

Mark Buckets said:

"1:33PM- Adam Morrison looking on at the RBC Center...a bit dejected"

Adam Morrison was looking on, but I wouldn't say that he was looking dejected. I'd say he was looking baked (as usual).