Neil, that’s wild. Bohannon is one of those guys that just won’t seem to go away. But I guess Gilyard should be in that conversation, too!
Richmond’s Jacob Gilyard, also playing in this game, can actually do Bohannon one better: He has played 5,668 minutes in his career, the most of any player since at least 2009-10.
Reader poll time!
This is the Aria sportsbook. Some properties in Vegas feature their sportsbook prominently, while others tuck them away in a corner … keep in mind that sports betting is considerably less profitable than most other activities for a casino. Aria is very much in the latter category; I’ve stayed here many times and was only vaguely aware of the presence of the sportsbook, which is hard to find unless you’re looking. It’s a nice enough room, but it’s cramped, so I’m going to head somewhere more spacious.
Admittedly, Memphis has not played to its talent often this year, but from a pure ability standpoint, the Tigers could be Gonzaga’s most talented opponent since … December? It’s not often the No. 1 overall seed gets a matchup like that in the second round.
Iowa’s Jordan Bohannon has started 168 games and logged 5,230 minutes of college ball. I didn’t know that was possible.
No. 9 seed Memphis is currently cruising over No. 8 Boise State. While the margins in those matchups are usually smaller, it fits the historical trend for 8s versus 9s: Since 1985, 9-seeds have a 73-71 record against 8-seeds, good for a 50.7 percent success rate in the first round.
Friend-of-the-site Ariel Edwards-Levy FTW:
I’m all-in on Longwood, and I’m about to be all-in on Richmond. 😬
According to my math, the combined excitement of the games right now is -1 million.
I feel like Longwood is an underdog we could all get behind, right? (No offense to any Volunteers fans out there.)
If Longwood is going to have a chance at knocking off Tennessee here, it will likely be because of 3-point marksmanship. The Lancers made 38.6 percent of their threes during the season, fifth-best in the country.
This is random, but Penny Hardaway looks like he could play in the NBA today. Dude does not age.
Can I send you the gift of a 14-over-3 upset, Emily?
Brb, Santul, sending you a gift for your farm. Could you help me by sending a gift back?
I left a very non-lucrative law career to do this. I feel like Griff Aldrich’s decisions worked out better than mine.
Elwood, Griff, Farmville — I’m loving all of this.
Farmville, Virginia, sounds like a made-up place. Are we playing Facebook games circa 2009?
Also, their coach had a previous career as a law partner.
OMG, Elwood.
Sara, Elwood is ready to meet the moment.
Sara, Longwood University is located in Farmville, Virginia. It was founded in 1839, which makes it the third-oldest public university in Virginia. They also have a basketball team.
Tennessee-Longwood just getting started now. Quick, who’s a Longwood expert?
I’m 😑 — it would have been nice for my bracket if the Jackrabbits had pulled off the upset.
LOL
It went to 11. 😉
Sara, that emoji isn’t on the scale!
The FiveThirtyEight model is perfect so far, so 😁 !
I’m still in the “who did I pick?” phase, Micah. I made so many provisional brackets that I don’t remember who I had in the real thing! 🤔
Actually, let’s repurpose our Vegas scale to use to check in on how everyone is feeling about their bracket(s).
How’s everyone feeling in these early stages?
🤪😀🙂😑🙁☹️😩🤬
A good time to get that second (or third) cup of coffee during this lull in the tournament. Memphis leads Boise State by 19, and No. 1 Baylor is beating No. 16 Norfolk St. by 16 at the moment.
Pour one out for the Jackrabbits. Brookings, South Dakota, represented well!
Providence moves to 20-2 in games decided by 10 or fewer points.
Yeah, huge and not necessarily the sort of foul you’d expect to see called in a game like this.
Wow, that’s a huge foul against South Dakota State on that 3-point attempt.
I’m checking the Friars players’ ages as we speak.
For what it’s worth, they seem to win an awful lot of these games. But, like, do you have to play them?
Josh, that is a WILD stat.
Providence, with a roster older than the Oklahoma City Thunder, continues to be incapable of putting games away. Lead is down to 3 with 2:23 to go.
Ha, and to your point, Jared, he just drained another three and the same announcer admitted, “What do I know?”
Memphis had been really good after Bates went out of action, Jared, today notwithstanding.
Unrelated, he just hit a deep three.
Did the analyst in the Memphis-Boise State game just say that if it were up to him, he would not play Emoni Bates (who was the No. 3-ranked recruit in the country), who is returning today after a long absence? That seems … wild.
I agree, Sara, though there’s something frustrating about two strong mid-major teams, each capable of advancing, meeting each other in the first round (as Murray State and San Francisco will).
With the loss of Colorado State, there are still three Mountain West teams left in the tournament, as many as the Pac-12.
A big 3-pointer from the Jackrabbits cuts the Friars lead to 5 points with 5:44 remaining, but Providence just pushed it back to 9.
I’m gonna argue with the Michigan diehard, Santul. 😉
Our friend and former colleague, Chris Herring, would appear to disagree with you, Sara!
Michigan should have had to play one of the many Big Ten teams it lost to repeatedly during the season.
I find it so annoying when a mid-major has to play a Power Five (Six?) team that shouldn’t have even made the tournament.