Running Diary of March Madness, Day 1:

• And so concludes day 1 of the tournament. I ended up in a tie for last place in my pool with just 9 correct picks (out of 16), but I'm staying optimistic. A bad first day of the Dance does not a Dance make. My ceiling is still very high. I didn't lose any Final Four picks. Or even Elite Eight picks. Only 2 in the Sweet Sixteen are gone. Silver lining, baby, silver lining. Talk to you on Friday!

• And that's why Jacob Pullen and Curtis Kelly are the best 2 players on K-State. Each made clutch buckets down the stretch, and Kelly pulled down key rebounds to hold off the hard-charging Aggies. Up next: the snail's pace of K-State vs. Wisconsin. Oh joy. 

• But just saw this ominous stat: Kansas State is 21-0 when leading with under 4 minutes to play. Not good for the Aggies.

• Don't look now... but here comes Utah State! A late run has them down just 6 at 56-50 with 3:45 to go. Here's hoping Wesley and Co. salvage 1 win out of 4 for my picks in the last round of today's games.

• Michigan State... wow. They closed the game on a 35-14 run... and still came up short, losing to UCLA 78-76. A fitting end to a tumultuous season in East Lansing.

• I'm frustrated with myself for believing in Missouri. This team has struggled for much of the 2nd half of its season, and had just one true road win all season long (at Iowa State). And predictably, they flopped against Cincinnati. They inexplicably didn't employ their "40 minutes of hell" style of full-court pressing all day (a Mike Anderson staple), and had no answer inside for Yancy Gates. Not happy with my picks on this day 1 of the tournament.

• And of course, Jacob Pullen, despite a sickness, has put K-State on his back, countering Utah State's 6-0 run with one of their own. 39-28 Wildcats, 15 minutes left.

• March would not be March without crazy comebacks. After falling behind 64-41 midway through the 2nd half, Michigan State has roared back on a 25-9 run to close the gap to 73-66. Alas, it may prove to be too little too late, as there is only 2 and a half minutes left in the ballgame.

• Tai Wesley has come out with a renewed sense of passion and aggressiveness for Utah State in the second half. The Aggies have started the half on a 6-0 run, with Wesley providing 2 of the buckets, and the Kansas State lead is all of a sudden down to just 5.

• Gonzaga is simply not missing from the field. 7/10 from 3, 60% from the field overall. St. John's' magical season seems headed for its conclusion.

• Missouri went through a 10 and a half minute stretch without a field goal. It's hard to win ANY game if you go that long without a bucket from the field, let alone an NCAA tournament game.

• Halfway through the final round of games for today, and all 4 teams I've picked are behind by double digits. Sweet. At least I had them all losing in the next round anyways. Sigh.

• And it's already Danger time for Utah State. Their best player, Tai Wesley, just picked up his 3rd foul with 4 minutes left in the first half. The K-State lead is 9. If that gets any larger before halftime, the Aggies will be heading back to Logan, Utah very shortly.

• Utah State is failing to match the physicality of Kansas State, as they've committed 7 turnovers to just one of K-State. The Wildcats lead 24-15 with 5 minutes to go in the first half.

• A 23-9 run to close the first half has Cincinnati running away from Missouri at intermission, as the Bearcats lead 39-28. After a 9-2 Mizzou start, it's been all Cincy (37-19).

• The absence of D.J. Kennedy is being felt in a huge way by St. John's, who trail Gonzaga 34-23 with 5 minutes to go in the 1st half. The Zags are shooting a sizzling 65% from the field, while out-rebounding the Red Storm 16-6.

• As ugly as the Belmont-Wisconsin game was to watch, Kansas State-Utah State easily will rival it. Both teams play grind-it-out, ball control, defensive games. First to 50 wins!

• ESPN.com's Giant Killer blog identified Belmont as its best Giant Killer, essentially a team from a small conference with the capability of beating a major-conference team. Why? Because of its 3-point shooting and offensive rebounding. So in the spirit of those stats, here's how those played out tonight (and then I'll stop whining): Belmont --> 6/22 from 3, 17 total rebounds, 2 offensive. Wisconsin --> 12/22 from 3, 29 rebounds, 5 offensive. Enough said.

• Wisconsin is simply not turning the ball over, and Belmont isn't putting any pressure on them defensively to force turnovers. As a result, Wisconsin is going deep into the shot clock and playing the exact kind of style they want to play. A 13-1 run has the Badgers up 56-40 with 8 minutes to go. That'll be 2 Sweet 16 picks lost. Oh well.

• And here comes Jordan Campbell! The Atlantic Sun's leader in the 3-point percentage dials up a pair of 3's from long-distance, and all of a sudden Madison's 10-point lead is slashed to 4. BRUINS!!

• My Belmont upset pick is looking shakier by the second. Why? 2 reasons: 1) the Bruins rely on the 3 to win, as they are one of the leading teams in the nation in terms of volume of 3's made. Tonight: 2 for 11. And 2) Jordan Taylor (from Bloomington, Minnesota) is better than anyone Belmont has. He made a NBA 3 with a hand in his face with 4 on the shot clock to put Wisconsin up 8. And trust me, right now, the way Belmont is struggling on offense, that lead feels like 20.

• Jimmer from half-court... SWISH. No, really. Watch the highlight. He shot it from the parking lot. 15 points, 5 assists, 33-29 BYU at halftime.

• A tight, hard-fought was broken open a bit by Wisconsin, who knocked down 3 consecutive 3's to jump to a 32-25 lead. Belmont stopped going inside, leading to run-outs and open 3's for the Badgers. 34-27 Badgers at half. And in case you're wondering: yup, I picked Belmont. To the Sweet 16.

• Can you teach me how to Jimmer? After watching his teammates struggle for most of the first half, Fredette finally asserted himself, leading a 9-0 run as BYU took a 30-25 lead. He hit his first 3 and has scored 12 points in the game.

• Ladies and gentlemen, meet Noah Dahlman, Braham, Minnesota's finest, and one of 3 Minnesotans in the Wofford starting lineup. Dahlman averages 20 points per game and can score with either hand in the low post. 

• The defensive attention Jimmer is commanding is opening up the floor in a big way for BYU's perimeter shooters, but they aren't making Wofford pay. If BYU is to make a deep run in this tournament, Jimmer's friends are going to have to make outside shots consistently, much like they did in their win at San Diego State on February 26.

• Wisconsin's limitations on offense are already on display in a big way. So far it's been Jordan Taylor isolation plays and not much else. Their defense will keep them in the game, but I love the depth and defensive ability of this Belmont team, and am confident the Badgers are going down in another upset special in Tucson.

• Jimmer's heating up now. Basically broke a defender's ankles, and drove in for another layup and-1. 10-6 Cougars.

• Even more perplexing: BYU pushing tempo, yet not looking for Jimmer. Jimmer finally got on the board with an and-1 driving layup 5 mins into the game. 7-6 BYU, at the first official timeout (14:51 left first half).

• A rather cold start for BYU: 0 for 3 from the floor, a cheapie foul on the Jimmer, and a 4-0 deficit.

• Prediction: Florida's lead will be at least 15 by the mid-point of the first half, and will win by 25. They have a tremendous advantage at every position on the floor against Santa Barbara, and the game is in Tampa. Good luck, Gauchos.

• A poorly-executed inbounds play leads to a desperation 3 that has no chance. Final score: SPIDERS 69, Commodores 66. That's now 3 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances that have ended in the first round for Vanderbilt. Rule #1 of NCAA bracket-picking: pick against Vanderbilt.

• Vandy, with 1 timeout remaining, throws the ball to mid-court, and uses that timeout. 2.5 seconds. 

• Ezeli made the first and intentionally missed the 2nd, but the ball was rebounded by, of course, Kevin Anderson. Anderson made the 2nd of 2. Timeout Richmond, Vandy ball, down 3, 3.4 seconds remaining.

• For some reason, Vandy threw the ball inside and was looking to shoot a 2-pointer, despite being down 3. The ball was intercepted by none other than my adopted favorite Spider, Mr. Darrius Garrett, with 5.5 seconds to go. He missed the front end of a one-and-one, but Richmond fouled Ezeli immediately. Smart decision, given that the lead is 3. 4.7 seconds left.

• KEVIN ANDERSON!! ONIONS!!!! The 2010 A-10 player of the year is earning that title today, with a driving fadeaway jumper over the outstretched arms of Ezeli. 68-65 Richmond, 18.9 seconds left.

• Instead, Richmond made a different adjustment: they went to a 2-3 zone, shading an extra defender toward Ezeli and preventing  him from getting a touch in the post. Garrett made a terrific block on a driving Lance Goulbourne, but was called for a foul (completely undeserved). After a 1/2 trip to the line and a stop on defense, Vandy has the ball down 66-64 with 58.9 seconds to go. Yet ANOTHER down-to-the-wire game on this topsy-turvy first day of the 2011 Dance.

• Uhm, can someone please explain to me why Richmond is continuing to try to guard Ezeli one-on-one with Dan Geriot? He has no chance. He's fouling every time. Why not being back Darrius Garrett? Already blocked Ezeli a couple times, and once set a conference record with 14 blocks in a game last season. Ezeli is 8/10 from the floor; time to try something different. Before it's too late.

• Richmond looks like they simply want it more right now. They just picked up 3 offensive rebounds on a single possession that lasted 2:20, and finally ending in a Cedrick Lindsey floater. Vandy has just 1 field goal in the last 7 minutes, and trail Richmond 55-52 with just over 8 minutes to play.

• And another 3! 11/19 from 3 for the game for Richmond. WHAT UP SPIDERS

• Back-to-back Kevin Anderson 3's, and we're tied at 48! Spiders! Still concerned about Ezeli though. 6/6 from the field, 15 points. Keep making 3's, Richmond, you're gonna need 'em.

• A 5/5 start to the 2nd half by Vandy has their lead extended from 3 to 9. As one of the many people who took Richmond in the 12/5 upset, I am not pleased. Justin Harper for 3! Back to a 6-point game. That's better.

• It's hard not to love Devon Beitzel, the PG for Northern Colorado. He ranked 13th in the NCAA in scoring this season at 21.4 points per game, and shot the 3 at a 38.4% clip. He's getting into the lane at will against the San Diego State man-to-man defense, but simply lacks a teammate who is making 3's following his penetration. And yet, his Bears trailed the heavily-favored Aztecs by just 6 at halftime. Chris Kaba and and Elliott Lloyd have to be ready and willing 3-point take and makers in the 2nd half for the Bears to hang around in this game.

• Finally, Pitt remembers they're playing UNC Asheville and pulls away to a 20-point lead, thanks to a 20-point 2nd half from Ashton Gibbs. Only took 35 minutes. Ugh.

• From goat to hero: Knight drives right and throws up a difficult layup, off the glass. Bucket. His only made FG of the game, comes with 2 seconds left, to give UK a 59-57 win. Another epic finish on this incredible first day of the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

• And Dan Mavraides ties the game with a 12-footer! 34 seconds to go, 33 on the shot clock, UK ball, tied at 57. Oh. My. Goodness.

• Kareem Maddox answers a driving DeAndre Liggins layup with a contested and difficult spin-fadeaway to bring Princeton within 2. A bricked jumper by Brandon Knight (0 points on 0/6) shooting has Princeton with the ball, down 2, with 1 minute to play...

• Doug Davis one-on-one against Terrence Jones is not a matchup Princeton will get too many points out of. They have to execute their offense effectively to get buckets. And just as I'm typing... Davis for 3... REJECTED by Jones. Wow. Yep, Jones will be playing in the Association next year. But Princeton's answers with another 2 to cut the UK lead to 2, 2:14 to play. Here we go again...

• Wow, it must be infuriating being a Pitt Panther fan. Pitt has sleep-walked through its first-round matchup with UNC-Asheville, leading by just 8 with 15 minutes to go.

• Another Harrellson put-back, and 1. Kentucky by 4, 4 minutes to go.

• Kentucky has responded with an 14-4 run to take a 53-48 lead over Princeton. Penetration by the guards on offense and dialed-up defensive energy on the perimeter has keyed the Wildcat run. Under 6 minutes to play...

• On the other end of the floor, the Vandy 2-3 zone is flummoxing the Richmond attack so far. Richmond relies on driving-and-kicking for 3's and free-throw attempts, but Vanderbilt is not being very accommodating. Should be an interesting matchup to watch.

• Festus Ezeli is proving to be a matchup nightmare for Richmond. The Vandy PF has 7 points already, which is the margin of deficit for the Spiders early. Kevin Anderson just picked Jeffrey Taylor's pocket, however, cutting the Commodore lead to 12-7.

• Another upset in the making: Princeton is gaining confidence by the minute, continuing to lead UK 44-39 with 12 minutes to play. One caveat: Cats PF Josh Harrellson is proving difficult to keep off the offensive glass, as he was fouled on consecutive UK possessions. Stunningly, Princeton has out-rebounded Kentucky 21-17.

• A very poor start for Richmond, on both ends of the floor.  Missed 3 of their first 4 shots, and allowed Vanderbilt to make their first 4, as they trailed 10-3 early.

• Despite it's wide array of NBA-caliber athleticism, UK has forced just 3 Princeton turnovers, seemingly content to sit back and let the Tigers run their offensive sets. As a result, Princeton is right there in this game. Come on, coach Cal: let your boys trap and press and see if you can't get a little separation. Wildcat nation cannot be happy with their team's, and coach's, performance thus far today.

• 2 other surprising developments unfolding: #16-seeded UNC-Asheville trails perennial tournament underachiever and #1 seeded Pitt by just 5 at halftime; and #13-seed Ivy league champ is stunning SEC tournament champion and star-studded Kentucky 36-34, just underway in the 2nd half. Just an incredible day of basketball so far, and still so much more to go...

• JUAN FERNANDEZ WITH .4 LEFT TO BEAT PENN STATE!!!!! Wow, just 4 games in, and this tournament already has been incredible. *Trying to breathe*

• TALOR BATTLE FOR THREEEEEEEEEE!!!!! His 5th 3 of the game ties the game at 64. Temple ball, 11 secs left. LET'S GO

• Penn State and Temple are locked in an epic battle on TNT. 18 lead changes, 1 minute to go, Temple by 1. Lavoy Allen has disappeared (3 points, but with 11 rebounds), but Ramone Moore (21 points, 9/14 from the field) and Juan Fernandez (19 points, 17 in the first half) are engaged in a 3-point shooting barrage against Talor Battle (20 points, 4/10 from 3), Tim Frazier (15 points) and David Jackson (14 points). A 3rd epic finish in the first 4 games of the day seems on the way...

• AND THEN DEMONTE HARPER SENDS THE CARDINAL FAITHFUL HOME WITH A DAGGER 3!!!! AND MOREHEAD STATE ADVANCES TO THE ROUND OF 32 WITH A 62-61 WIN!!!!! WOW!!!!!!!!

• Spoke too soon, redux: a 9-0 run has Louisville back on top 61-57 with 1 minute to play. Peyton Siva made a sensational drive-and-kick for a dunk with 2 seconds on the shot clock to extend Louisville's lead. This kid is the motor that drives the Cardinals, and he could have them in the Final Foor making plays like that. Wow.

• Spoke too soon: Louisville G Preston Knowles turns an ankle, and Morehead immediately goes on a 13-4 run, including 4 consecutive made 3's, to take a 57-52 lead with under 5 to play. Could be looking at our first upset of the day. Stay tuned...

• Just announced: Kyrie Irving WILL PLAY for Duke against Hampton on Friday night. Rut roh. 

• Louisville is starting to assert themselves in a big way against Morehead State. Their 3's are starting to fall, and they've adjusted nicely to the Morehead backcourt pressure. They've also ratcheted up their defense as well. They've outscored Morehead 11-4 in the first 6 minutes of the 2nd half for a 44-37 lead. Louisville fans are relaxing just a tad.

• I still can't get over how stupid it is that today's games are technically "Second Round" games. Really? We gave SIXTY teams first-round byes? Those play-in games that nobody watches, because they can't pick those winners anyway, are "First Round" games? There is no possible way that anyone will talk me into this. Hey, person that decided this, you're a moron. And rant..... over.

• Major props to Butler for holding off ODU and winning their first round game. Smith and Howard were able to stay on the floor despite foul trouble, and ODU's several missed layups came back to bite them. Bummer, though. This is my first bracket casualty. Oh well.

• A nice buzzer-beating 3 to end the first half for Morehead, but Louisville showed their might in rallying from a 10-point deficit to take a brief lead. Tied 33-33 at half.

• And then, Dalton Pepper comes to the rescue. Back-to-back thefts and layups, then another forced turnover. All of a sudden, in 47 seconds, West Virginia's lead balloons to 9. Clemson, you just got daggered.

• Under 2 mins to go, and Clemson, after trailing by as many as 9, have WVU's lead down to 3. Here we go...

• Sphincters are already tightening in Louisville, Kentucky. Morehead is ramping up the pressure tenaciously in the backcourt, and is playing with a great deal of confidence. They've led the whole way and are up 19-13 with 7 minutes to go in the first half. This is despite just 3 points from Faried on 1/8 shooting.

• 19 lead changes and counting for Butler-ODU, with 12:16 left in the game. 43-42 Butler.

• 7 rebounds for Faried in the first 10 minutes! SEVEN!

•  It's amazing that ODU is only up 2, because it feels like 10. ODU's 3-2 zone is giving Butler fits, as they live and die by the 3. ODU may not have the firepower to pull away from Butler, but Butler's inability to get good looks will really make it tough for them to win.

• Bigger uh oh: that's 4 fouls now against Andrew Smith, the other Butler big. Yikes.

• Uh oh. A defensive gamble leads to Butler PF Matt Howard picking up his 3rd foul. Both Butler bigs have 3 fouls now, and for a team already thin up front, Butler could be in a world of hurt in very short order against the relentless frontcourt of Old Dominion.

• How about the start for the Morehead State Eagles?! A 7-0 lead, and turning up the pressure on a team that loves to pressure full-court, Louisville. PF Kenny Faried is the all-time leading rebounder in NCAA history, and is going to be in the Association next year. If you think an upset here is a long shot, think again. The Eagles have the stones to pull the upset in this in-state battle.

• Just as required: WVU has a renewed energy level, and is brutalizing Clemson on the offensive glass.  Their first 3 makes came off of second chances, and their lead is increased to 5. Clemson needs a response, and quickly.

• Old Dominion heads into the break with a 29-27 lead. Some statistics of note: Shelvin Mack of Butler has 11 points, with all of his FGs coming from 3 (3/6); 8 points on 4/7 shooting for Frank Hassell of ODU; a 7-6 edge for Butler on the offensive glass (a stunning stat); 11 turnovers for ODU, 8 for Butler.

• And of course, just as I say that, WVU rips off an 11-1 run to end the 1^st half at tie the game at 40.  Clemson certainly isn’t capable of running away from WVU, and they certainly have to be discouraged at being tied at halftime after dominating for most of the game thus far.

• Not impressed at all with West Virginia’s first half.  They really appear to be sluggish, and Clemson is taking advantage in a big way, taking a lead by as much as 10.  West Virginia’s rotations are slow to Clemson shooters, and the Tigers are either getting open 3’s or blowing by flat-footed WVU defenders for lay-ups or put-backs.  If the ‘Neers don’t ramp up their energy level quick, they’re going to be heading back to Morgantown in very short order.

• Extremely impressed with Old Dominion’s tenacity on the defensive end.  Nothing is coming easy for Butler.  Even when they run their set and seemingly get a good shot, ODU’s bigs recover and block or challenge the Butler shot attempt.  Turnovers by the ODU guards are leading to several Butler run-outs, which is very un-Butler-like.  This game should go down to the wire, and I’m pulling for the Monarchs, who absolutely could pull off a 2nd-round shocker over Pitt.

• And we're off!! Happy Madness, everyone!!