1-2-1-2-1-2-3-1

All of the top seeds advance to the Elite Eight, except the Badgers who are replaced by the third seed Ducks. If the Elite Eight lacks an upstart small program like George Mason, it has been replaced by an undersized player: Oregon’s Freshman 5’ 6” Tajan Porter. He shot the Ducks into the Elite Eight and Sunday they will face Florida who survived the pesky Butler Bulldogs.

Runnin’ Rebel Kevin Kruger looks just like his dad but with moppy hair. The Silver Lake, Kansas native coached his fourth different team to the Sweet Sixteen (UNLV, Florida, Illinois, Kansas State) and Kevin had the Rebels on a late rally against the Ducks. They could not overcome one of this years great tournament performances by Porter. His late free throws iced the game for the Ducks, who were withering something terrible, almost throwing away a late second half 15 point lead. Porter went 8-12 from behind the arc to get the
Ducks up big and finished with 33 points.

This from ESPN:

“You get the feeling he (Porter) was feeling good,” Ducks guard Aaron Brooks said. “He’s been doing it all year. It’s not surprising to me. I had a front-row seat, the best seat in the house.”

The Ducks wouldn’t be on the precipice of their first Final Four since winning it all in 1939 without the diminutive guard, who hit four 3-pointers against Winthrop in the second round to send Oregon to the second week of the tournament.

That he’s playing at this level at all is an upset of sorts.

The Oregon coaching staff went to Renaissance High School in Detroit to scout guard Malik Hairston, a McDonald’s All-American. But an assistant coach spotted Porter—two years younger than Hairston —draining shots from all over the court. He implored Kent to give him a chance.

Porter jumped on the scholarship offer from Oregon — the only big-name school to come calling. Now he’s become the darling of a tournament lacking a true underdog.

“I just came out with a lot of confidence,” Porter said.

After he and Hairston hit back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 66-49 with 5:23 to play, UNLV began chipping away.

Kevin Kruger and Michael Umeh combined for 13 points during a 17-4 run that got the Runnin’ Rebels within 70-66 with 50.2 seconds to play. But Porter hit 4-of-6 from the line in the last 41 seconds and UNLV’s Joe Darger missed a 3-pointer with 30 seconds to go.

"I did get a little heated by our intensity, about our effort and
about our concentration…"

The other bracket saw both of the top seeds overcome double digit deficiets. The Tarheels climbed out of the deepest hole:

Even before they heard coach Roy Williams hollering, Brandan Wright and his North Carolina teammates could tell they were in big trouble.

Down by 16 points early in the second half, the top-seeded Tar Heels suddenly shifted into another gear. Fueled by a huge run, they pulled off their biggest rally of the season and beat Southern California 74-64 Friday night in the East Regional semifinals.

“It was a fantastic comeback to say the least,” Williams said. “I have a great deal of confidence in my team. ... I knew we wouldn’t give up.”

“At halftime, I didn’t throw any chairs,” he said. “I did get a little heated by our intensity, about our effort and about our concentration, but I personally never lost faith in our kids,” he said.

Despite off games by Tyler Hansbrough and Ty Lawson, the Tar Heels (31-6) saved themselves with an 18-0 run, triggered when they pounded the offensive glass.

The turnaround seemed to catch Wright by surprise.

“I didn’t know it was an 18-0 run,” he said. “When our team can make spurts like that ... we really are going to be hard to stop.”

77 (7-1) // KittyKatKevKev // Portland, OR

74 (6-2) // Sperry // Kansas City, MO

72 (6-2) // Van Ness // Portland, OR
72 (6-2)// Bev // Overland Park, KS

70 (6-2) // Victoria // Portland, OR
70 (6-2) // Theresa Ann // Rochester, MN

68 (5-3) // K Dees // Washington DC
68 (7-1) // Edward Feedtime // Lawrence, KS*
68 (6-2) // Ma O’Neil // Lenexa, KS
68 (6-2) // Jim // Overland Park, KS

67 (5-3) // Simba // Los Angles, CA*
67 (5-3) // Stoph // Washington DC
67 (5-3) // Kitty// Rochester, MN

66 (4-4) // Butterworth the Bulldog // Washington DC
66 (5-3) // Argo // Portland, OR
66 (5-3)// Gern Blanston // Roca Baton, FL

65 (5-3) // Pa O’Neil // Lenexa, KS

62 (4-4) // Liam // Kansas City, MO
62 (5-3) // Spurgin // Portland OR

60 (4-4) // Nayt Dogg // Lawrence, KS*

57 (3-5) // Truffle the Bulldog // Washington DC

* adjusted score [kittykat error]