If you saw Tayshaun Prince’s explosion against Tulsa this past weekend, you saw one of the most incredible shooting performances in NCAA history. Not only did Prince score 41 points, but the majority of his shots did not even touch the rim. Tulsa had no chance whatsoever against Prince. Still, the Golden Hurricane and their head coach John Phillips deserve a great deal of credit. First, they beat a good Marquette club. Then, despite having clearly less talented players, they took Kentucky down to the last two minutes, even with the Wildcats star having the game of his career.

The other stud of the first round was Caron Butler. Connecticut is a solid NIT team without Butler. With him they are favored going into the sweet sixteen. Butler single-handedly won UConn’s game against N.C. State.

Wolfpack freshman Julius Hodge was called for a questionable foul on Caron’s three point attempt in the final minute, and Hodge barely missed what would have been a game tying thirty footer at the buzzer. But Hodge is clearly a special talent. He is what Tracy McGrady would have looked like if he had played college ball.

Many will give Steve Lavin credit for UCLA’s upset over Cincinnati. The Critic isn’t buying that. The Bruins won despite Lavin. When UCLA had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation, Lavin did not call a timeout to set up a play and the Bruins barely squeezed off a last minute jumper that was nowhere close.

The game itself was a classic. Dan Gadzuric made himself millions and it seemed like the UCLA players were taking turns making clutch baskets. Jason Kapono finally looked like the player he was supposed to be coming out of high school. Meanwhile Leonard Stokes’ 39 point performance was spectacular and included a number of acrobatic baskets that kept Cincinnati in the game.

Maybe some good will come out of the loss for Cincinnati and Bob Huggins will lose that ill-fitting, ugly suit, or at least take it with him to West Virginia.

It is bad enough that Maryland as a one seed and Pittsburgh as a three seed basically got to play two homes games. But why did the committee reward Texas, a six seed, with home court? The home court advantage may have been the difference in the Longhorns’ win over Mississippi State, and it was an advantage Texas did not deserve.

Even though UNC Wilmington beat USC in the first round, their coach Jerry Wainwright should have been fired after the game. His team coughed up a 19 point lead because they could not get the ball in bounds. Up three in the closing seconds of regulation, the Seahawks double-teamed diminutive point guard Brandon Granville when he drove to the basket, allowing him to kick it out for a wide open three pointer. Wilmington fouled Granville with ten seconds left in overtime when they were up by 6 while Granville was shooting a three pointer.

Combined with Sam Clancy’s missed chippies, it was the worst played overtime game in recent memory.

Notre Dame had a two game run to be proud of. They killed Charlotte and then had Duke on the ropes. It bears repeating how overrated Carlos Boozer is. But Jason Williams and the surprising Daniel Ewing saved the Dukies. But where you surprised in the least when Duke pulled it out? Of course not. Like the Yankees, they always do.

Funny how as soon as Bobby Knight left the program, Indiana finally started winning in the tournament. Meanwhile the General is back in Lubbock after another first round exit. How many times will Knight have to lose in the first round before people recognize he hasn’t won anything in a decade?

ESPN viewers should bring a class action suit against the network for over advertising A Season on the Brink. The Critic is still having nightmares in which Brian Dennehy, wearing that stupid red sweater, chases him around a gym screaming “I will not allow you to give me a losing record.”

Illinois Frank Williams is a talent, but at time he seems disinterested. The Critic likes the Illini to upset Kansas in the next round.

The Critic’s pre-tournament final four was the departed Bearcats, Illinois, Maryland and Duke with Duke beating the Terps in the finals. The Critic had Kent St. and Missouri right where they are now, with a final eight including Oregon, UConn, Oklahoma and Cal (God they were horrid against Pitt).

The Critic likes Illinois, Oregon, UConn, Maryland, Duke, Pitt, Oklahoma and Missouri to advance to the final eight.

If Brett Nelson is serious about going pro, someone should tell him that the CBA, thanks to Isiah Thomas, is out of business. Nelson is a selfish point guard who is an inconsistent shooter. And he can’t guard anybody. Other than that he is ready for the NBA.

And judging from pre-tournament activity, he would lose to Vanilla Ice if he chose to become a professional fighter.

Random Musings

Sure Ruben Rivera is an idiot. He lost $800,000 trying to clear $2,500 by stealing Derek Jeter’s glove. And the Yankees were right to fire him, given that none of his teammates would ever trust him around the locker room.

But some other team should pick him up. A stupid mistake does not mean Rivera should be banned from the game. It isn’t as if he killed someone or gambled on baseball.

One guy who should be banned is Derek Bell. Bell, an overpaid scrub who was paid $4.5 million by the Pirates last year to hit 5 homers and 13 RBI, claims that if he is forced to win a starting position, rather than having it handed to him, he will commence “Operation Shutdown.” Based on his sad performance, how will anyone even know if he shuts it down?

Isn’t it shocking to hear that Bell is close friends with Carl Everett?

Of course Tiger is incredible, but the story at Bay Hill last weekend was another choke job by Phyllis Mickelson. Despite being ahead in the final round after ten holes by 2 strokes, Mickelson claimed the tournament was never his to win. What the hell does that mean?

Mickelson’s slice into the water on 16 was pathetic. Maybe, as Ben Wright once suggested with respect to women golfers, Mickelson was impeded by his enormous breasts.

If Mickelson is as committed to winning as he always claims, he should get himself into some kind of shape.

The Critic is well aware of the Patriots success’ last year with low priced free agents. But 3 years $3.8 million for Christian Fauria?

Is it too much to ask Nolan Richardson to just go away?

By: Scott Shuster