Wow!! White-friendly St. Mary's who start three whites and had four on the court for long stretches in the 2nd half tonight, upsets #1 Gonzaga to punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament!! After a weekend where the games didn't go our way, it was great seeing the Gaels control the game against Gonzaga, winning 60-47. It is amazing how the Gaels' defense shut down the high-powered Zags. Big man Jordan Hunter was huge in the win, bagging a double double with 12 points and 15 boards. Guard Tanner Krebs had 13 points and 3 steals, and mixed guard Jordan Ford (who's a pretty good player) led the way with 17 points. Awesome win for the Gaels, and another team to cheer for next week!!
Speaking of teams to root for, Northeastern upset all-black Hofstra to win the CAA Championship. Leading the way was stud PG Vasa Pusica, who finished with a team high 21. Bolden Brace, the Huskies' second white starter, nearly had a triple double with 10 points, 10 boards, and 9 assists. Tomas Murphy had a nice game off the bench with 11 points, 2 boards, and 2 assists.
Another bid was secured by the Northern Kentucky Norse of the Horizon League. The Norse start two white players, who are their top two scorers. Forward Drew McDonald knocked down the game-winner last night, and is the Horizon Player of the Year. He was solid tonight, with 13 points, 8 boards, and 5 assists. Tyler Sharpe, a former Louisville walk-on, had an off game, but still had 11 points. Massive center Chris Vogt comes in off the bench for them. Although the beat a whiter team in Wright State (4 white starters) Northern Kentucky is still a good team to root for with their best two players being white.
Notre Dame swept aside George Tech in the 1st round of the ACC Tournament, the Irish won't go dancing, but it'll be good experience for their young lineup. John Mooney continued his strong play with 20 points and 10 boards. Dane Goodwin had 15 points, and Nate Laszewski had 14 points.