Running Diary of March Madness, Day 2:

• And that's gonna do it for me today (other obligations). Check back throughout the weekend, as I will be back on the laptop tomorrow afternoon. Enjoy the rest of today's games everyone!

• Wow, was I wrong about Akron. They're still a long shot to win, but they're hanging right with heavily-favored Notre Dame. They've matched the Irish at the 3-point line (which is no easy feat) with a 6/14 effort, and have taken 9 more shots than Notre Dame thanks to 6 offensive rebounds. They could have been even closer if not for a less-than-stellar performance by C Zeke Marshall, who has made just 2 shots in 12 attempts from the floor. No one gave the Zips much of a chance, nor did they really merit one (they finished with just the 5th-best record in the 12-team MAC), but they've acquitted themselves well against a Big East power.

• One of my good friends is a senior at Villanova and one of their most loyal diehard fans. She assured me her boys would come to play today, as they were finally all healthy. And right now, she's right. Corey Stokes has been dialing up from long distance (3/5 from 3 in the first 11 minutes) and is building up his confidence, as is similarly named compatriot, Corey Fisher (11 points on 4/6 from the field). The 2 have combined for 22 of 23 Villanova points, as the Wildcats have built an 8-point lead over George Mason.

• The same cannot be said of Tennessee. 19-14 overall, 8-8 against a lackluster SEC, losses against Oakland, Charlotte, and USC (offsetting wins over Pitt and Villanova), and an 8-conference game suspension for their head coach, Bruce Pearl. Sure, an NCAA tournament appearance probably made it all worth it, but it culminated in a 30-point beatdown loss against 8-seeded Michigan in the 1st round. After going down 23-17, Michigan would outscore the Vols 58-2 the rest of the way to hand Tennessee to take a 75-45 defeat. A pathetic effort by Tennessee, and leaving those who picked you to win in the first round (yup, including me) feeling embarrassed.

• The Horns hold on to beat Oakland 85-81, but it certainly wasn't easy. Major congratulations are in order for Oakland, who had a great season. 25-10 overall (6 of those losses against high-major NCAA tournament teams, and a win at Tennessee), a dominant 17-1 in Summit League play, and 2 All-Summit League 1st team performers (Benson and Hamilton). Alas, their cinderella story was undone by a bad matchup; had they played a more vulnerable seed (re: Louisville), perhaps their tale would have unfolded differently.

• Another turnover by Texas has led to an Oakland 3. Hold your horses folks, this one's not over yet. 80-75 UT, 1:22 to play. 2 timeouts each way.

• Wow, is Hamilton tough. He keeps coming right at the Texas defense, jumping into defenders to draw contact and still finishing the play. He's also started yapping with Texas G J'Covan Brown. Things are starting to get chippy out there. 80-72 Texas, 1:44 to go.

• The Michigan lead has extended to 52-31 (a 16-0 run), as the Vols have now gone 6 minutes between hoops. Yikes.

• Just when you think Oakland is down and out, they just keep coming back. Reggie Hamilton's tough driving lay-up ("AND THE FOUL!!" - Marv Albert), has extended Oakland's run to 7-0, and he just forced a turnover and called a timeout to keep possession. A missed 3 gives it back to Texas, however. 78-70 Horns, 2:15 to go. Still 3 timeouts for each side.

• Michigan has recovered from a slow start and has taken a 40-31 lead over Tennessee, 3 minutes into half number 2. The Wolverines have taken 3 charges, flummoxing Tennessee with their switch to a zone defense. It will be a difficult road back for the Vols, as they are not particularly adept at shooting from the outside and must rely on transition hoops, solid defense, and getting the ball inside to win. And now another traveling call, leading to a Hardaway Jr. dunk. And ANOTHER walk. That's 11 turnovers and counting committed by Tennessee.

• Wow, is Akron in for a long day. After staying with Notre Dame to the first TV timeout (tied 6-6), the Irish ripped off a quick 10-0 run, punctuated by Big East Player of the Year Ben Hansbrough's 3-pointer. Hansbrough is a great shooter with a quick trigger, and has blossomed into a very nice college player after transferring from Mississippi State. He is the undisputed leader of the #2-seed Fighting Irish, but has plenty of help around him in F Tim Abromaitis, PG Eric Atkins, and Luke Harangody look-alike Jack Cooley (65% shooting from the field ) off the bench.

• The biggest difference for the Horns today has been Frosh F Tristan Thompson. Thompson has scored a team-best 17 points, and has also collected career-high 6 blocks. His solid one-on-one defense against Benson is another reason why Texas has a nice working margin (70-57) with just over 8 minutes to go.

• Benson is giving Texas all they can handle inside, but the Texas bigs have done nicely against him so far today. Benson, a 2-time Summit League Player of the Year, has 11 points and 10 rebounds, to go with 3 personal fouls. Texas leads 68-54 with 9 minutes to play.

• And of course, just as I said that, Michigan ripped off a 10-run to take a 27-23 lead, including a couple of 3's. The run was made despite 2 starters (Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jordan Morgan) sitting on the bench

• It's been the Tobias Harris show for Tennessee in the first half. 15 of the first 22 points for Tennessee, to go with a couple of blocks. The Volunteers are also making Michigan work offensively, as the Wolverines have shot a miserable 8/24 (33%) from the floor, including 1/9 from the 3-point line, in the first 13 minutes (Michigan averaged 8 made 3's per game for the season). Tennessee enjoys an athleticism advantage, and has made the most of it thus far, as they lead 22-17 heading into the under 8-minute timeout.

• This has to be said: Tennessee G Scottie Hopson's old-school crew haircut is mesmorizing. Hopson could totally star in White Men Can't Jump 2. This seems like a pretty apt comparison, as well.

• I really liked Oakland as a sleeper going into Selection Sunday. PF Keith Benson is going to play in the Association, and backcourt mate Reggie Hamilton is as good as guard as there is among Mid-Majors. Alas, it was impossible to like their first-round matchup against the Texas Longhorns. In my opinion, the Horns are perhaps the most underseeded team in the tournament, as they were the #1 team in the country just a couple of weeks ago. They are loaded from top to bottom, especially in the frontcourt. Forwards Tristan Thompson and Gary Johnson are very capable scorers, and Jordan Hamilton might be the toughest individual matchup in the country. Add in savvy guards Dogus Balbay and Cory Joseph, and the Horns are my pick to get out of the West region. Things have gone swimmingly thus far in Tulsa, as the Horns lead the Golden Grizzlies 29-19 with 8 minutes to go in the first half.

• And we're off on Day 2! I won't be here quite as long today, but there will be plenty of Madness goodness, so check back till about 4:30 EDT.