One of the most intriguing matchups in today’s NCAA Tournament games figures to come in Spokane, Wash., when Purdue’s 6-foot-3 Chris Kramer goes against Texas A&M’s David Loubeau, a springy, 6-8 forward.
The gritty, hard-nosed Kramer, left, is a guard. But with 6-8 Robbie Hummel out for the season with a knee injury, the 214-pound Kramer often draws the opponent’s top forward, regardless of the height difference.
Despite getting into early foul trouble, Loubeau scored 14 rebounds and grabbed six rebounds Friday in a 16-point victory over Utah State.
“Anytime you’re guarding a guy like that . . . He’s obviously a very skilled player,” said Kramer, the 2008-09 Big Ten defensive player of the year. “I just have to try to make it hard for him, try to get in front of him and not let him get the ball in position (to score). My teammates will be there to help me out a little bit.”
Bests: Vols streak into Sweet 16
On Rocky Top.
Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl, right, has his Volunteers in the second weekend of the NCAA’s for the third time in four years after an 83-68 win over Ohio.
Oh, my, Omar.
Omar Samhan, Saint Mary’s 6-foot-11, 260-pound center, played perhaps the best all-around game of anyone in the tournament so far. His 32 points were one shy of his career high, and he made 13-of-16 shots in the Gaels’ 75-68 upset against Villanova.
Bulldog method.
No. 5 Butler defeated No. 13 Murray State 54-52 to extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 22 games, advancing to the regional semifinals.
Worsts: ‘Nova’s collapse now complete
‘Cats fall to Gaels.
The second-seeded Villanova Wildcats (25-8) made an early exit a year after they played in the Final Four. They started 20-1 and collapsed at the end, losing 75-68 to the 10th-seeded Saint Mary’s Gaels on Saturday.
Ohio duo misses the mark.
Ohio’s Armon Bassett and freshman D.J. Cooper, the guards who starred in the first-round victory over third-seeded Georgetown, combined for 23 points on 7-of-23 shooting in their 83-68 loss against Tennessee.
Vetoed.
President Barack Obama’s bracket was busted when No. 1 Kansas was stunned by No. 9 seed Northern Iowa 69-67. Obama picked Kansas to beat Kentucky for the championship.
On tap
GAME OF THE DAY
No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 5 Michigan St.
12:30 p.m.: Maryland wants to get out and run, and while Michigan State can handle any kind of tempo, the Spartans likely would be content to make this a half-court game. The Spartans pound foes on the boards, and that bears watching. Maryland isn’t a particularly strong rebounding team anyway, and for the Terps to get out in transition, they must rebound well.
SOUTH REGIONAL
No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 5 Texas A&M
3 p.m., TV: KCNC-4: Both teams were trendy picks to lose in the first round. Texas A&M is physical and plays good defense, but the Aggies aren’t particularly proficient on offense. Purdue played well offensively against Siena, but it’s hard to see the Boilermakers having that much success against the much more physical Aggies. The flip side is that Purdue is physical on defense too. The big- man showdown between Purdue’s JaJuan Johnson and A&M’s Bryan Davis is worth keeping an eye on.
No. 1 Duke vs. No. 8 California
3:20 p.m.: Both want an up-tempo game, in the high 70s, low 80s. Duke is a better defensive team and rebounds better than the Golden Bears. Duke’s perimeter defense has been great; the Blue Devils allow opponents to shoot barely 28 percent from 3-point range. Cal shoots better than 37 percent from beyond the arc and has to be hot from the outside if it is to pull off an upset.
EAST REGIONAL
No. 2 West Virginia vs. No. 10 Missouri
12:50 p.m., TV: KCNC-4: Mizzou did a great job containing Clemson’s Trevor Booker in the first round. For the Tigers to win again, they’ll have to handle WVU’s big men in the same manner. The difference? Clemson had one big man of note, and WVU has one of the deepest frontcourts in the nation. While Mizzou wants a fast pace, the Mountaineers wouldn’t mind turning this into a half-court affair.
No. 4 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 Cornell
12:50 p.m.: Cornell leads the nation in 3-point field-goal percentage, and the Big Red’s motion offense carved up Temple’s solid defense in the first round. Next up is Wisconsin and its solid defense. Good news for Cornell is that while Wisconsin is bigger than Temple, the Owls are quicker overall than the Badgers. Wisconsin’s biggest advantage is its size.
MIDWEST REGIONAL
No. 2 Ohio St. vs. No. 10 Georgia Tech
12:20 p.m.: Georgia Tech’s upset hopes depend on its big men. If Gani Lawal, Derrick Favors and Zachery Peacock get the ball enough, they are going to have success down low.
WEST REGIONAL
No. 1 Syracuse vs. No. 8 Gonzaga
10:10 a.m., TV: KCNC-4: These are two of the most efficient offensive teams in the nation. Syracuse shoots better than 51 percent, and Gonzaga makes better than 49 percent of its shots. Syracuse’s zone means the Zags are going to have to hit some perimeter shots.
No. 3 Pittsburgh vs. No. 6 Xavier
2:50 p.m.: These teams met in the Sweet 16 last season, when top-seeded Pitt downed the fourth-seeded Musketeers 60-55. A lot has changed since, but much also is the same: Pitt still plays physical, aggressive defense, and Xavier still prefers a fast pace. Rivals.com
Familiar foes
Spartans, Terrapins tip again.
In somewhat of an oddity for teams of different power conferences, Michigan State and Maryland will be facing each other today in Spokane, Wash., for the third time in the past four seasons.
Maryland won 62-60 in the 2006-07 season and 80-62 last season.
Spartans coach Tom Izzo and Maryland’s Gary Williams have been friends for years.
“I think, as we all know, there’s a lot (of unsavory stuff) that goes on in college basketball,” Izzo said Saturday, “and I don’t think it’s what we do here, and I know it’s not what they do there (at Maryland). That’s why I have always respected the man.”
Spartan injuries
Guards an issue for Michigan State.
Izzo said point guard Kalin Lucas practiced Saturday on his “tweaked” ankle, but guard Chris Allen (sprained arch) remains questionable for today’s game against Maryland.
Important text
Good wings, coach.
Kansas State coach Frank Martin, a Miami native, said of all the hundreds of text messages he received, one stood out from a close friend: “The text said, ‘Never seen so many people at Hooters in Miami chanting your name.’ “
Tom Kensler and John Henderson, The Denver Post
