NCAA Tournament Update/Notes

While it is now “even money,” that there will be a Duke vs North Carolina national semi clash, there are two other “quarters” to be played, as with Duke -4 vs Arkansas and North Carolina -8 vs amazing Saint Peter’s, one today and one tomorrow.

Today as cited here yesterday, Houston is minus 2 plus vs Villanova and there is the aforementioned Duke/Arkansas ’94 final redux.

Tomorrow Siant Peter’s, the first 15 seed to ever reach the final eight is as cited getting 8 vs North Carolina. Steve A is getting much more on N.C. to win it all. He must “hedge” some.

Tomorrow’s other tilt matches Kansas, the lone top seed to make it to this point vs Miami.

Kansas in a bid to reach their 16th national semi is a 6 point favorite vs Miami, which is bidding for its first such appearance.

North Carolina will be hoping to reach its 21st semi, Saint Peter’s its first.

Duke is seeking their 17th semi while Arkansas, as is the case with previously cited Villanova and Houston, is bidding for its 7th national semi appearance.

The two previous Duke/Arkansas NCAA Tournament clashes were “semis” or later. As cited, it was Arkansas winning the ’94 Final while Duke prevailed in a ’90 semi.

UNLV ripped Duke in the ’90 final but Duke semi’d an undefeated UNLV team on its way to their first title game win (vs Kansas) in ’91.

They won it again in ’92 on a team that included a great college player named Grant Hill. His pro efforts were less stellar and you can opine on his “announcer” work after such “gems,” as saying Gonzaga “MAY HAVE TO FOUL,” if it can not steal, facing a deficit in the last 16 seconds, as he did Thursday past.

 

Danny Manning, pictured above, led Kansas to the ’88 crown.