Second Round Recap: Florida State/Xavier

Florida State

Jonathan Isaac
6-11, SF, Freshman
8 points, 12 rebounds, 4-7 FG

Isaac is a projected top ten pick, potentially top five, and there were plenty of things to see in this game that made you believe why. Even though Florida State got their butts kicked, Isaac stood out in a plethora of ways.

Second Round Recap: Duke/South Carolina

Duke

Frank Jackson
6-4, PG, Freshman
15 points, 2-5 3FG, 5 turnovers

Jackson is playing out of position with Duke.  He isn't a point guard but has had to play point guard due to the roster deficiency at that position.  Jackson showed why he isn't a point guard in this game, throwing the ball away five times and struggling to bring the ball up against PJ Dozier's pressure.  Jackson is tough attacking the basket in a straight line and showed that he can go both ways, but he doesn't have many dribble moves to create separation from pressure. 

Second Round Recap: Kansas/Michigan St

Kansas

Frank Mason
5-11, PG, Senior
20 points, 5 assists, 2 steals, 6-16 FG, 0-4 3FG, 8-8 FT

Mason's incredible senior year continues, putting up another 20 point game in a Kansas win.  Mason's become one of the most well rounded players in college basketball.  Even though he missed all of his threes this game, he has always been an elite three point shooter that has reached ridiculous levels this year (48.4% from three).  He also gets his teammates involved and has a nice two man chemistry with fellow backcourt mate Devonte Graham.  He's tough to stop in ball screens because he'll either hit the jumper or snake his way to the rim and get to the line (6.7 attempts per game).

Second Round Recap: Kentucky/Wichita State

Kentucky

De'Aaron Fox
6-4, PG, Freshman
14 points, 2 steals, 5-13 FG

This wasn't Fox's best game statistically.  He only ended up having one assist and was mainly looking to get downhill and finish.  He is unstoppable going left, but really only wants to go left.  If you sit on it and make him go right, he isn't as effective.  He had a couple impressive dunks in the halfcourt, showing off his explosiveness and speed.  The jumper is ugly, even though he did hit one mid range shot.  His three point shooting percentage (23.8%) and free throw percentage (73%) don't bod well for the future in that department either.

Second Round Recap: Villanova/Wisconsin

Villanova

Josh Hart
6-6, SF, Senior
19 points, 5-9 FG, 8-10 FT, 5 turnovers

Hart is as tough as they come.  Whether it comes to being the man to hit big shots down the stretch, or get a stop, he's up to the task.  He's really stretched his game this year to be more of a playmaker, it showed in this game. He was relentless attacking the basket going both directions and if he didn't finish the layup, he got to the line.

He has underrated athleticism. He looked comfortable going off both feet in the air. He had a nice dunk off his right foot where he got up high, surprising for a right handed player. His jumper looks better than it did last year, but he still shoots it on the way down sometimes, leaving the shot short. Hart projects to be a 3-and-D wing who can also create a little bit, attack a closeout and make a play.  There's a large chance he is the highest senior drafted in June because of that.

Second Round Recap: West Virginia/Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Bonzie Colson
6-5, PF, Sophomore
27 points, 8 rebounds, 10-15 FG, 4-5 3FG

Colson was even more impressive in this game than he was in round one. The ankle seemed fine when he was guarding guys, even getting up and doing a decent job protecting shots at the rim with his 7-0 wingspan.  The three ball was falling as well, and if he can do that consistently, he is a legit pro prospect.

First Round Recap: SMU/USC

USC played almost the whole game in a 2-3 zone, making it tough to evaluate what kind of defensive skills their players might be able to translate to the next level.

First Round Recap: Michigan/Oklahoma St

Michigan

Derrick Walton
6-0, PG, Senior
26 points, 11 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 7-13 FG, 6-9 3FG


Walton has been on fire down the stretch of the season and he carried it over to this game.  It was a career game for Walton, and he got the best of the star studded matchup with Jawun Evans.  Walton made life miserable for Evans bringing the ball up the floor and showed great poise on the other end handling the pressure from Evans.  He has an edge and toughness about him when he plays and despite being only 6-0, he isn't afraid of contact.

First Round Recap: Gonzaga/South Dakota St

Gonzaga

Zach Collins
7-0, C, Freshman
10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks

Collins is a lottery pick in the making. There are so many things that the freshman did in this game that made me fall in love with him. His physical tools are elite for the center position. Although he has a light frame for a center, he still competes extremely hard, grabbing rebounds out of his area and pushing South Dakota State's Mike Daum off the block when guarding him. His lateral and vertical athleticism is as good as any center in this draft. He had one impressive chase down block in transition that stood out. He switched onto guards and contained them very regularly, something that is rare for a guy his size. He is the complete package defensively.

First Round Recap: Notre Dame/Princeton

Notre Dame

VJ Beachem
6-8, SF, Senior
2 points, 6 rebounds, 1-9 FG, 0-3 3FG

Beachem was pretty much a non factor in this one, which could've been for a few reasons. Notre Dame's system is very well shared across the floor and encourages ball movement. You can see that in a lot of Beachem's box scores, scoring 20 points one game and then 6 points the next. Beachem plays the four and is often setting a lot of screens, something that he more than likely won't be doing in the NBA.

NCAA First Four Recap: Wake Forest/Kansas State

Wake Forest

John Collins

6-10 PF, Sophomore

26 points, 9 rebounds, 9-13 FG, 8-8 FT

Collins has been a late riser on a lot of consensus draft boards.  He is very bouncy, even from a two foot stand still, and has a very nice frame that should fill out over time.  He is a young sophomore, still only 19 years old, making him a very enticing project for someone.  There were flashes of things that make it seem like Collins could be a highly ranked prospect.  He thrives in the face up game and is automatic from the 15-18 feet area.  He made all his free throws and has shot well (74.5%) from the line for the year.  He stroke is decent, making it seem like he might be able to stretch it out later on his career, even though he's only attempted one three in his two seasons at Wake Forest.

John Collins 16-17 Shot Chart

Oakes' Leadership and Experience key for Valpo Men's Tennis

It is safe to say that the Valparaiso Men’s Tennis team is in the midst of their most successful season in program history. At 16-5 and 2-0 in Horizon League play, the men look poised to win their league for the first time in school history, building off of their second place finish to Green Bay last season.

For senior Danny Oakes, this is a welcome change from when he enrolled in school his freshman year.

“We had three straight seasons where we didn’t win a conference match,” Oakes said. “The two years before my freshman season and my first year here, we didn’t win one single match in the Horizon League.”

Valpo has never been known to have a dominant tennis team, which is why it is a nice surprise to see their success this season. Valpo Men’s Tennis doesn’t have the pedigree that the Men’s Basketball team does, but the program has hit a point in their growth similar to what men’s basketball currently faces.

“We’ve gotten to the point now where none of the ranked teams want to play us, just like the basketball team,” Oakes said. “Nobody wants to lose to a mid-major program like ours because it makes them look bad and they’re only doing us a favor by scheduling us. It really is the same situation our men’s basketball program is in.”

Unfortunately for Oakes, the continued success of the program has put him in a situation where he and his peers were recruited over. The majority of the top seven on the team are underclassmen. Oakes strictly plays doubles, but even then he is far enough down on the depth chart that there are meets where he won’t even play or get to finish his match. On top of that, Oakes has battled an ankle injury that had him sidelined for several weeks recently. Instead of pouting about how his senior year isn’t having the ending he wanted, Oakes and the other seniors have taken it upon themselves to embrace being leaders for the younger players on the team.

“I’m like the team dad,” said Oakes. “Everybody comes to me for everything. They ask me questions about homework, ask me where to go, call me to help out with any drama that might be going on. If they ever need anything, they always come to me.”

If you’re looking for a comparison to help describe Oakes’ game, demeanor, and leadership, look no further than his favorite professional basketball team and their emotional leader.

“If I could compare myself to an NBA player, I’d probably choose Joakim Noah. Not just because I’m a Bulls fan, but because he is kind of the leader of the team. He talks a lot of trash and yells when he plays. I’m always saying stuff and making noise when I play to get guys fired up.”

Despite not competing as much this season, Oakes will still graduate as one of the more decorated members in the history of the Valpo Men’s Tennis program. Oakes is currently 9^th in singles winning percentage, 8^th in doubles winning percentage, 9^th all time in doubles victories, and 8^th in career singles winning percentage. There is no doubt that as the team starts to look towards the stretch run of their season, they’ll continue to look to Oakes’ leadership and experience to help them reach their goals.

NCAA Elite Eight Recap: Thoughts on Oregon/Oklahoma

The Elite Eight kicked off Saturday night with the number one seeded Oregon Ducks taking on the favorite for college basketball player of the year, Buddy Hield, and the Oklahoma Sooners. Lots of points were expected to be scored in this one, and the matchup of how Buddy Hield would attack the Oregon defense made it an interesting matchup.

NCAA Sweet 16 Recap: Thoughts on Indiana/North Carolina

From a scouting perspective, this was the biggest game of the Sweet 16. Two blue blood programs loaded with athletic talent. Both teams like to play fast, which made for a fun showing in this game. Ultimately, North Carolina's depth was too much for the Hoosiers to handle.

NCAA Second Round Recap: Thoughts on Kentucky/Indiana

This was one of the most hyped second round games in the history of the tournament. Two elite, blue blood basketball programs with a fun history between each other set the stage for an electric matchup in the round of 32.

NCAA First Round Recap: Thoughts on Cal/Hawaii

This game was on upset alert earlier in the week when the news came out that Cal fired one of their assistant coaches. In addition to that, senior stud Tyrone Wallace missed this game due to injury. That set the stage for an experienced Hawaii team to take down a depleted Bears squad.

NCAA First Round Recap: Thoughts on USC/Providence

This was one of the best games of the first day of action, with Providence winning on the last possession. Providence has had the talent all year to compete with the NCAA's elite, but just hasn't consistently put it together. This game was a microcosm of how the Friars' season has gone.

NCAA First Round Recap: Thoughts on Seton Hall/Gonzaga

Both teams were red hot coming into the NCAA tournament. Seton Hall made an improbably run to win the Big East tournament while Gonzaga punched their ticket by winning their conference as well. Both teams were intriguing for different reasons, Gonzaga with their front court and Seton Hall with their backcourt.

NCAA First Round Recap: Thoughts on Kentucky/Stony Brook

Stony Brook made some noise in their conference tournament thanks to their monster big man, Jameel Warney. Unfortunately, the magic ended against a Kentucky team that very well could be the most talented team in America, boasting the most pro prospects, without question, of any team in the tournament.

NCAA First Round Recap: Thoughts on Iowa State/IONA

Both these teams love to fill it up on the scoreboard and boy did they ever. Iowa State is essentially a more talented version of IONA, and it ended up showing in this game. IONA was having to play catch up the whole game and couldn't quite get enough stops to make this game close at any point.