March 17
AWARDS for FIRST TWO ROUNDS of NCAA TOURNAMENT
OVERALL PTPer: Caron Butler, UConn
Butler, UConn's super soph, had an outstanding performance against Hampton in the first round (21 points, nine rebounds). Then, he was a superstar in round two against N.C. State: 34 points (10-of-13 from the field, 12-of-12 from the line) plus nine rebounds. He put the Huskies on his back and carried them to the Sweet 16.
TOP COACH: Steve Lavin, UCLA
Lavin has heard the critics all season long. But he had the Bruins ready to play against a tough Mississippi club in the first round and then against the West's No. 1 seed, Cincinnati. The Bruins rallied from 12 down to reach the Sweet 16 for the fifth time in Lavin's six years at UCLA.
TOP DIAPER DANDY: Daniel Ewing, Duke
Duke would not have survived its game against Notre Dame without freshman Daniel Ewing. Notre Dame had Duke on the ropes, but Ewing made the Irish pay for playing a gimmick triangle-and-two defense by hitting four big trifectas and scoring 18 points. Ewing, of Houston, played in high school with Texas freshman T.J. Ford, winning back-to-back state titles.
TOP TEAMS: Kansas and Maryland
Offensively and defensively, these two teams were brilliant in their second-round victories. They got good shots while defending and rebounding well. They excelled in every phase of the game.
ELITE EIGHT PTPers
Besides UConn's Caron Butler (my overall PTPer), here are my Elite Eight PTPers from the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament (listed in alphabetical order):
Juan Dixon, Maryland
Dixon led the Terps against Wisconsin, scoring 29 points and surpassing Len Bias as the career scoring leader at Maryland.
Dan Gadzuric, UCLA
The Bruins wouldn't be going to their fifth Sweet 16 in six years without Gadzuric. The big man scored 26 points in the double-overtime thriller against Cincinnati.
Trevor Huffman, Kent State
Huffman has come through big-time, hitting some key shots to propel 10th-seeded Kent State to the Sweet 16. He has scored 40 points in two tourney games.
Aaron McGhee, Oklahoma
McGhee has been a dominant force on the inside for coach Kelvin Sampson, scoring 51 points in the two games (25 vs. Xavier, 26 vs. Illinois-Chicago).
Rickey Paulding, Missouri
We all know about Kareem Rush's scoring ability, but Paulding has been brilliant on the wing for the Tigers. He's been excellent in transition and on the offensive glass while scoring 36 points in two games.
Tayshaun Prince, Kentucky
Prince scored a career-high 41 points in second round -- a game where Kentucky needed almost every one of those points to beat a tough Tulsa club.
Luke Ridnour, Oregon
Ridnour can handle the rock, dish and score. He's been sensational, scoring 28 points (7-of-11 trifectas) against Wake Forest in the second round.
Frank Williams, Illinois
Williams scored all 20 of his points in the second half vs. Creighton in round two (giving him 45 overall in the first two rounds). When Williams is on, he's the catalyst -- he makes Illinois go.
