NCAA Tournament Liveblogging-It's Go Time!

By Mark Buckets

The time is upon us. Drive & Dish's staff have filled out their respective brackets after two consecutive nights of brainstorming and a season full of basketball viewing pleasure.

Here we are, at 10:45AM, here on Thursday, March 20th, 2008. We're mere moments from the beginning of a month-long odyssey of epic proportions.

Think that's a bit over the top? A case of hyperbole?

Try again. There is nothing in the world of sports that generates the passion of the NCAA Tournament.

Drive & Dish lives for today.

Over the next four days, Drive & Dish will continue it's all-consuming coverage of the NCAA Tournament.

Tomorrow, I, Mark Buckets, will attempt to complete the blogging version of a "Super Marathon."

From 11 in the morning til deep into the night - with a couple of bathroom breaks in between and some time to stretch - I will be plugged in to the NCAA Tournament.

It's time.

10 minutes to go. Tick, tick, tick, tick......

11:03AM- It's past 11:00...and I'm staring at the weathered face of CBS 2 Chicago's Rosanne Telez. I guess they aren't going to network coverage until around 11:10. At least the Westwood One radio coverage begun on time.

11:04AM- Speaking of which, Mark Champion of Westwood One sounds a heck of a lot like Illinois' Brian Barnhart. It's erieely similar.

11:08AM- March Madness on Demand has generated quite a buzz. From those in the office to people elsewhere, CBS did everyone a favor in making these games free to view. Thank god I signed up for VIP access. Took me about a minute to log in to MMOD with the VIP feature. Thinkin' ahead there, Markie.

11:12AM- CBS is on the air and Clark Kellogg is already dropping poetry. You know it's go time when you hear that.

11:14AM- Underrated aspect of NCAA basketball on the radio: Ted Robinson is back again for another year. Robinson was behind the microphone during the Bryce Drew miracle shot. It still gives me chills when I hear it.

11:17AM- CBS will take the nation to the Verizon Center to tip off their coverage of the NCAA Basketball Championship. The bands are cued up, the crowd is buzzing - those that are there, it's a late arriving crowd - and everyone is ready.

11:19AM- Speaking of chills, CBS' opening montage of tourney moments still freezes me to the bone.

11:20AM- I'm loving the NCAA Tournament pins that the coaches have always sported. Sharp

11:21AM- We are UNDERWAY and Xavier pounds it inside for a 2-0 lead. Not the kind of start the Bulldogs needed.

11:22AM- Sundiata Gaines with the BLOW BY. The Georgia senior needs to have a huge game today for them to have any chance of an upset.

11:23AM- Don't know if it's just my computer, but the audio isn't working on my MMOD. Please fix this....please

11:25AM- Dave Bliss comes up about 2 feet short on a fade away. The shot wasn't even altered. He needs a Trashtalk Superstar pep talk to take it up strong! He needs a little talkin' to...

11:27AM- Bulldogs struggling to guard the three....I've counted three open three's - one of which XU has made - in the first 5 minutes here...

11:27AM- We are underway in Omaha!

11:28AM- UGA starting to settle down and they have taken a 9-8 lead.

11:30AM- Love the low-pitched howl from the Michigan State cheerleaders. Intimidating as hell for the other team.

11:32AM- Sloppiness in Denver between Michigan State and Temple. Did you expect anything different?

11:33AM- ALERT ALERT ALERT: Gus Johnson just dropped a Pepe Sanchez reference. I love the tournament.

11:35AM- Audio not working on MMOD. This is disturbing, since I don't care for Gus Johnson (an understatement) or Len Elmore.

11:38AM- Kansas runnin' and gunnin' to a 13-3 lead over Portland State. The Vikings seem overwhelmed by the big stage, thus far.

11:39AM- The struggles of Drew Neitzel have been well-documented this year. He continues to struggle today, against the ferocious defense of Temple. Fran Dunphy knows how to coach "D."

11:40AM- Michigan State giving Temple a little taste of their own medicine.

11:42AM- Temple busts out the 1-3-1 zone. Not used to seeing that from the Owls. Since MSU has gone big, it's a good way to contain the lane.

11:44AM- Flipping over to ESPNEWS during the break, and I stumble upon American U Coach Jeff Jones. The former UVA head man did a great job with limited talent - to say the VERY least - this year.

11:50AM- Ten minutes to go in Denver and Michigan State leads Temple by a score of....12 to 11

11:51AM- In D.C. UGA has recovered and actually is up by six. If they happen to win today, I assure you they will be coined "America's Team" by more than one media outlet, if they already weren't already.

11:55AM- There's strong: And there's there's Raymar Morgan strong.

HIGH NOON- UGA hanging on to a 3-point lead over XU.

12:01PM- Apparently Drew Naymick will be getting his P.H.D. according to Gus Johnson. I guess he's a better student than a basketball player. (Naw you think?)

12:05PM- There isn't a harder worker - during the game - in college basketball than Drew Neitzel. Always moving, always working for an open shot. You've got to wonder if he has any legs left.

12:09PM- UGA up 35-26 on Xavier at halftime. The Bulldogs continue to get it done.

12:10PM- I was afraid of this when I picked Temple to upset Michigan State. The Owls have gone ice cold, and have been prone to scoring droughts at times this year. I guess I figured Michigan State would follow suit.

12:19PM- Halftime score: Michigan State-35 Temple-26. Both teams starting to warm up a bit towards halftime. Good thing, we were on pace for a 45-40 showdown.

12:30PM- I feel like changing my phone service to AT&T. I don't know why.

12:32PM- Xavier a little hesitant to put the three up. They're shooting 36% from 3 today.

12:33PM- Drew Lavender still looks a little slow after that ankle injury he sustained earlier in the year...He is obviously not at the top of his game.

12:35PM- Georgia looking supremely confident early in the second half. They're "not just happy to be here."

12:37PM- Halftime numbers from Denver: Temple's Dionte Christmas has taken a page out of Roy Hibbert's book and hasn't scored in the first half. The Owls need to get him on track to have any comeback chance.

12:41PM- MSU starts the second half with an easy dunk. An ominous sign for Temple.

12:42PM- Along that theme, an open three for the Spartans. Temple appears frustrated here early in the second half.

12:43PM- MMOD update: Did the Kansas/Portland State game begin yet? The feed has been awfully slow (and it's not my computer.)

12:46PM- Xavier trying like hell to make a run. Every time the Muskies string together a couple of baskets, UGA matches with a bucket or two of their own.

12:50PM- Perhaps I spoke too soon. Georgia is racking up the fouls and Xavier continues to chip away. Lead down to 4, 46-42.

12:53PM- Drive & Dish Fashion Update: As if the NCAA hasn't slapped their logo everywhere, they've gotta do it on the team jerseys....We don't approve..

1:00PM- Georgia showing frustration that I haven't seen since before the SEC Tournament.

1:01PM- Bam, UGA with the awnser. They've been up to the challenge so far. 49-42 Dawgs.

1:03PM- I know Sundiata Gaines splits the high screen better than more everyone, but he's gone to the well a little bit too often. Steal, easy transition dunk and XU is back to within 3.

1:05PM- The shots aren't falling for the Dawgs and Xavier is making them pay. A six point swing and the Musketeers have taken the lead, 52-49.

1:06PM- What an entertaining basketball game. This has the making of a tournament classic, to say the least.

1:07PM- All quiet on the western front in Denver. Michigan State has seized control and should walk to an easy win. I knew that Temple pick was a reach.

1:09PM- Kansas holding serve against Portland State. It's your typical #1 seed that shoots 60% and swarms the 16 seed. Incredible balance from the Jayhawks.

1:12PM- Xavier starting hunker down on defense and pressuring like they've done all year. Georgia better be careful not to let this one slip away.

1:13PM- It seems that Dave Bliss (4 fouls) complains more than an Italian soccer player after a foul. Dennis Felton put him down on two seperate occassions for his raw attitude.

1:14PM- The second wave of games should provide a few competitve matchups, led by the 6-11 game between Purdue and Baylor. I'm also interested to see how Kent State matches up with UNLV. Marquette and Kentucky will be a barn-burner.

1:20PM- After a slow start, Michigan State has been as impressive as they've been all year (on the road/neutral) today against Temple. As is common knowledge, this is a team that is built for the tournament.

1:21PM- A physical game in D.C. Both teams playing up-in-you-grill D. Especially XU.

1:29PM- 65-61 XU. Georgia needs a bucket bad with a little over a minute to go.

1:30PM- Woodbury rattles one out that would have cut it to one....foul inside, Georgia's Butler to the line.

1:31PM- Corey Butler missed the front end of the one-and-one. An 81% FT shooter and he clanked it. Xavier goes down and knocks down 2, sealing it.

1:33PM- This loss will mark the end of a solid career for Sundiata Gaines. He's one of Dennis Felton's original recruits - and he didnt transfer despite a lot of turmoil.

1:35PM- Fighting to the final whistle, Dennis Felton urging his team to play defense despite the game being completely out of hand.

1:36PM- Final score: Xavier-73 Georgia-61. The score is in no way respresntative of how close this game actually was.

1:37PM- Action has begun in Anahiem. This game offers a ton of storylines, one of which involves Tom Crean and his rumored desire to get the Kentucky job.

1:43PM- Lazar Hayward has been all over the court early on. The beauty of his game is that he can play four positions....and play most of them well.

1:49PM- I'm a firm believe in Marquette's ability to make deep run this year. If they get by Kentucky, Stanford will likely be waiting....but I am big believer in guard play over post acumen.

Stanford's backcourt is a huge question mark as well, especially against a lightning-quick Marquette guard trio.