Monday, March 21, 2016

Villanova Routs Iowa to Advance to Round of 16


News Conference: Iowa vs Villanova Postgame
Photo Adam Woodbury of Iowa, left, and Phil Booth of Villanova battled around the rim Sunday afternoon. Credit Al Bello/Getty Images

Since Villanova arrived in Brooklyn last week, the Wildcats have been shadowed by questions about their recent inability to advance past the round of 32 at the N.C.A.A. mens basketball tournament.

The albatross became tiresome. Over the past four days, players opened news media sessions trying to give courteous answers, acknowledging their recent stumbles. But as the hours wore on and different variations of the same questions were repeated, their heads hung low, the smiles disappeared and they grumbled through replies on how they did not want to be defined as underachievers.

The second-seeded Wildcats most potent retort came Sunday afternoon with a dominating 87-68 win over seventh-seeded Iowa in a South Region game at Barclays Center. Josh Hart led the way with a game-high 19 points.

Its definitely a sigh of relief, the senior Ryan Arcidiacono said. I just think the biggest thing is Im honestly just done answering the questions about getting past the second weekend.

Villanova was more aggressive from the start, diving for loose b***s and clogging passing lanes, eventually holding a 12-0 advantage off turnovers in the first half. The Wildcats executed with so much aplomb that after the game Villanova Coach Jay Wright apologized to his friend Fran McCaffery, Iowas coach, who is a Philadelphia native.

Were thrilled that we came out and played a first half like that, Wright said. When I shook hands with Fran, I just said, Hey, Im sorry. We havent played a first half like that in a long time.

After the teams tied, 13-13, the Wildcats outscored Iowa, 41-16, before halftime for a 54-29 lead, which also set a Villanova program record for points in a half in an N.C.A.A. tournament game.

During the extended run, Villanova received contributions from almost every player on the floor. Jalen Brunson and Phil Booth hit multiple 3-pointers. On defense, Iowa stood motionless through numerous possessions, with players fumbling routine passes.

The 7-foot-1 center Adam Woodbury, who had put back the winning shot in Iowas 72-70 overtime win over Temple in the first round on Friday, was held to 1 point.

The only flicker of energy emerged from Nicholas Baer, a redshirt freshman walk-on, who scored 8 points in the first half.

Theyre a tough group to close out to because theyll rip a drive on you, McCaffery said. So we closed out a little bit short, and they were making threes. We had a couple uncharacteristic turnovers that led to easy transition layups, and that was a big part of it as well.

During the first 20 minutes, Villanova shot 7 for 12 on 3-pointers and over 60 percent over all from the field. The Wildcats also remained disciplined on defense they had six steals and Iowa did not make a first-half free throw, their only two attempts coming with 4.7 seconds left before the break.

Kris Jenkins led Villanova with 12 points at halftime. Hart and Brunson added 10 each.

I think we didnt come out with the intensity defensively that we needed against a team like that, Iowa guard Mike Gesell said.

Villanovas lead grew to 34 points early in the second half, when a layup by Hart gave the Wildcats a 65-31 lead. At that point, it became clear that the questions about another Villanova collapse would cease.

Jarrod Uthoff paced the Hawkeyes with 16 points, also making their first free throw with 8 minutes 45 seconds remaining. Baer added 15 for Iowa.

Villanova will play No. 3-seeded Miami in the round of 16 on Thursday in Louisville, Ky.

We wanted it badly for this senior class, Wright said. I really didnt want them to go down as the winningest class in Villanova history but they never got past the first weekend.

Before Sundays win, the Wildcats had not advanced to the second week of the tournament in their last five appearances. On three of those occasions they were a No. 1 or No. 2 seed.

As the East Regions top seed last year, Villanova was stunned in its second game against No. 8-seeded North Carolina State, 71-68. That upset lingered throughout the summer for Wright and his team.

Its like if you have a cold and everybody keeps asking you: Hows your cold? Hows your cold? How are you doing? Wright said. After a while, youre like, Im fine, you know. You know youve got to answer the question.

Wright left in a majority of his starters late into the game.

When Arcidiacono finally exited the court with under a minute to go, he hugged Wright tightly.

A few moments later, when the final buzzer sounded, the public-address announcer congratulated Villanova on reaching the round of 16. Arcidiacono smiled, Villanova fans stood and players held their fists in the air, looking somewhat relieved that they had shook off an unwanted label, resoundingly.

Correction: March 21, 2016

An earlier version of this article misstated the number of points Iowas Adam Woodbury scored. He had 1 point; he was not held scoreless.

Continue reading the main story

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/21/sports/ncaabasketball/villanova-routs-iowa-to-advance-to-round-of-16.html

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Maryland basketball finishes regular season at No. 18 in AP poll


Michigan State vs. Maryland - 2016 Big Ten Men"s Basketball Men"s Basketball Highlights

Maryland finished the regular season ranked 18thin the Associated Press media poll and 17thin the USA Today Sports coaches poll.

Both Top 25 polls were released Monday.

The 25-8 Terps remained in the same spot in the AP poll after a better-than-expected showing in the Big Ten Tournament, particularly in taking No. 2-ranked Michigan State to the final seconds before losing Saturday, 64-61, in the semifinals at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Maryland, which opened the season No. 3 behind North Carolina and Kentucky, dropped two spots from 15thto 17thin the coaches poll. USA Today will release a final poll the day after the NCAA tournament ends. Mondays poll by the AP was its last of the season.

The Terps earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament and face South Dakota State, a No. 12 seed, in Spokane, Wash., at 4:30 p.m.Friday.

don.markus@baltsun.com

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Source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/terps/tracking-the-terps/bal-maryland-basketball-finishes-regular-season-at-no-18-in-ap-poll-20160314-story.html

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"The Passion": Breaking Down Fox"s Live Music Event


THE PASSION | "Demons" | FOX BROADCASTING

Fox is resurrecting the live TV space once again this Palm Sunday with The Passion, a modern spin on the story of Jesus Christs last hours.

Aside from being the first of recent TV music events to be based on religion, The Passion is setting itself apart from other musicals like the networks own Grease and NBCs trifecta by not billing itself as a musical rather, its been described as a live spectacular spanning across New Orleans, packed with mini-movies, a plethora of sets, A-list names, not a lot of dancing, but lots and lots of singing.

Exec producer Mark Bracco of d**k Clark Productions and music producer Adam Anders, a graduate of Glee, break down The Passion forVariety heres the lowdown on the city, the music and the stars.

THE CAST:

Its been a dream, Anders says of working with the stellar cast including musical icons Trisha Yearwood (Mary) and Seal (Pontius Pilate),plusAmerican Idol alum Chris Daughtry (Judas) and Jencarlos Canela (Jesus).

Trisha was so important because shes the anchor of the show. Theyre big songs, theyre big moments Shes a legend. She has a world-class voice. Her vocals are incredible. Shes so wonderful to work with, Anders raves of Yearwood.

Of Seal, he says, He was singing next to me and I got goosebumps. For me, the opportunity to work with him is a dream come true. Beyond that, he brings such a cool element to the show. He can walk on that stage and hes really a powerful man. He has that weight to him.

As for Daughtry? He was the first guy who popped into my head for Judas, Anders admits. To actually have him be in the show, Im just so appreciative to Fox to have the guy I had in my head bring it to life. Its just so good.

THE LIVE AUDIENCE:

Foxs Grease Live! was the first recent TV musical to incorporate a live audience into the television broadcast, and The Passion is taking that interaction to the next level. Spanning across the city of New Orleans, a live procession with hundreds of people who drove across the country to carry a large cross will be a huge part of the show, which is expected to have 25,000 to 30,000 live audience-goers on site.

Explaining the level of audience interactivity to expect, Bracco says, Even outside of the procession, when the trial of Jesus happens live on the stage, theres always that moment in the story where the crowd will yell back so at that moment when Pontius yells at the crowd, itll be the crowd that yells Crucify him! Crucify him! because that is what happened in the bible. There are going to be a few moments where the thousands of the people in the park are going to become a part of the live show, just as if they were in church on Palm Sunday where there are people in church saying, Crucify him! Crucify him!

NEW ORLEANS:

New Orleans was always the city of choice for the producers behind The Passion.

Speaking of the NOLA native host, Bracco says, Tyler Perry says this better than anyone, but its a city that resurrected itself. It rose again after Katrina. We went there and the people of the city were so welcoming and wanted us to bring the show there.

THETHEME:

Its huge. Its paramount to the success of this, Anders says about the wide-ranging religious theme. Music moves people in the way nothing else can. Its a powerful medium. If you want to re-tell this classic powerful story story in a modern way, the only way to do it is through music, and then you add this music that people already love, it takes it to the next level. I think when I worked on Glee, part of the success of that show is that everybody got something that they loved from and thats something that Ive taken from there.We need to give everybody something to reflect our diverse cast and diverse audience.

THE MUSIC:

All the songs are modern hits. Theres no Christian songs. Theres no religious songs at all, Anders says of the soundtrack that includes live covers of music by Whitney Houston, Imagine Dragons, Katy Perry, Celine Dion and more. When you go through the hits from the last couple decades, its unbelievable how many No.1 songs have religious messages.

Adam Anders,hes a genius, Bracco raves of the music producer. The scene when Judas betrays Jesus and they sing the duet by Imagine Dragons, its almost as if that song was written for that moment. The lyrics are so perfect and the songs that Adam chose, its so eerie at times. Anders adds, For me, it was all about finding the right lyrics that fit the themes. Its been a really fun process.

For more on The Passion, including exclusive behind the scenes photos, click here.

Source: http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/the-passion-fox-live-musical-tyler-perry-jesus-christ-1201733978/

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The Weird Early-"00s Covers From The Passion


THE PASSION | "Home" | FOX BROADCASTING
We need a sign to let us know this was real. Photo: Michael Becker / FOX

Did you wake up Palm Sunday thinking, Why yes, American Idol"s Chris Daughtry covering that one Evanescence banger in character as Judas is a thing I"d definitely like to see today? Or does the idea of Saint Peter belting Hoobastank bring on a deep nostalgia for the early "00s you"ve been hiding all this time? Perfect! Because Tyler Perry"s The Passion delivered all that and then some. Jesus Christ Superstar it was not; what happened semi-live on the streets of New Orleans Sunday night can only be described as the karaoke night of Avril Lavigne"s dreams a smorgasbord of vaguely Christian hits from the early "00s that have aged about as well as Scott Stapp. Here are just a select few of the weirdest covers to happen to Fox since Glee bit the dust.

Hoobastank, "The Reason"As if denying Jesus three times wasn"t enough, Peter poured on the salt with some Hoobastank.

Creed, "With Arms Wide Open"Nothing says you"re one last meal away from being crucified like Creed.

Evanescence, "Bring Me to Life"We never pegged Amy Lee for a Judas, but Daughtry has us reevaluating a lot of things right now.

Train, "Calling All Angels"Sorry, was Pat Monahan himself not available to play Jesus?

Lifehouse, "Broken"In the span of two hours, Trisha Yearwood covered Whitney Houston, Jewel, Jason Mraz, and Lifehouse a miracle only Jesus" mom could perform.

Oh yeah, and this happened:

Tears for Fears, "Mad World"Did you find it kind of funny that Seal (!) played Pontius Pilate? Not as funny as this.

THE PASSION | "Mad World"

After deciding Jesus" fate, Pontius Pilate (Seal) performs "Mad World" LIVE on The Passion.

Posted by FOX on Sunday, March 20, 2016

Katy Perry, "Unconditionally"We personally would"ve picked something from Perry"s Christian singer-songwriter years for Jesus" big Resurrection song, but sure, this works.

Watch Jencarlos Canela as Jesus perform Katy Perry"s "Unconditionally" in The Passion.

Posted by FOX onSunday, March 20, 2016

Source: http://www.vulture.com/2016/03/the-passion-live-weird-early-2000s-covers.html

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Superhero Bits: Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Old Man Logan, Carrie Kelly and More


Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) NYC Premiere Red Carpet "Amy Adams" Interview [HD]

Which Constantine star has joined Supergirl as an alien villain? What was Stan Lees response to learning Iceman is gay? Who is writing The Dark Knight Returns IV? Will we see a crossover episode for The Arrow, Flash and Legends of Tomorrow? How does Old Man Logan pay tribute to Frank Millers The Dark Knight Returns? All that and more in this edition of Superhero Bits.

Supergirl faces Red Tornado in a new promo for the next episode.

Karen Gillan says well get more of Nebula and Gamoras relationship in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

This Batman baby is ready to take on the Man of Steel.

Stan Lee was surprised to learn that Iceman is officially gay in the new X-Men comics.

Heres a fanmade poster for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Did you catch all these easter eggs and references in theGorilla Warfareepisode of The Flash?

Frank Miller wants to write a Nancy Drew-likeCarrie Kelly detective spin-off for kids.

Gotham was nominated for a couple of American Society of Cinematographers awards.

Due to the amount of graphics and images included in Superhero Bits, we have to split this post over THREE pages. Click the link above to continue to the next page of Superhero Bits.

Cool Posts From Around the Web:

Source: http://www.slashfilm.com/superhero-bits-966/

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Sunday, March 20, 2016

John Clay: A sad, sudden ending to Kentucky"s basketball season


Kentucky vs Duke Full game NCAA basketball 2015 / 11.17.2015

Jamal Murray didnt so much sit in his locker room cubicle at the Wells Fargo Arena, as he leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, a Gatorade towel covering his entire head, his eyes red, his voice barely audible.

Shots I normally make, I didnt, he whispered. I didnt make shots.

There was disbelief in his soft voice, as if the freshman guard couldnt really imagine that this was it, that Kentuckys basketball season had come to such an abrupt end, stopped in the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament by a 73-67 loss to Indiana in a second round game of the East Region.

Murray paused, and it looked for a minute as if he was going to say something else, but then he just couldnt. His head lowered again. His face disappeared beneath the towel.

It was that kind of Saturday for this Kentucky basketball team at Wells Fargo Arena. Nothing seemed right or in rhythm or the way it was supposed to be. There was no flow. The nations No. 1 team in terms of offensive efficiency could never find a rhythm, could never find itself.

Credit Indiana. The Big 10 champs stepped to the defensive plate. They cut off any attempts UK made at establishing a post game. While Tyler Ulis played valiantly, the first-team All-American finishing with 27 points, Indiana made Murray work for every one of his 16 points. He missed eight of his nine three-point attempts. As a team, UK missed 12 of 16 threes.

I felt like we had some open looks, said Derek Willis, who missed his only two shots. They just didnt go down.

Some Wildcats said Indiana played UKs pick-and-roll differently and that was a factor. Others, including Ulis, dismissed that as a determining factor.

We had defensive breakdowns, Ulis said. Thats where we lost the game.

And you couldnt help thinking back to six days before, after Kentucky had beaten Texas A&M in a overtime to win the SEC Tournament, when John Calipari, changed out of his suit and tie, predicted that his team would rise and fall with the play of his frontcourt. It plays well, UK advances. It doesnt, UK goes home.

Thats just the way it is, Calipari said.

He was right, of course. Indianas freshman center Thomas Bryant scored 19 points. Kentuckys trio of Alex Poythress, Skal Labissiere and Marcus Lee combined for 14.

And yet, despite five offensive fouls in the first half and six for the game and despite its inability to grab a groove, Kentucky held tightly to the rope for nearly 35 minutes. With 7:44 left, the score was tied at 50. Each team had made 19 of 45 shots for 42.2 percent. It was weird almost. Then the rope started to slip.

A possession later, Willis missed a three-pointer from his favorite spot, just to the left of the key, a spot where hes nearly automatic. At the other end, Indiana freshman O.G. Anunoby made his 13th three-pointer of the entire season. Indianas lead was just 56-50 but it had the feel of fate being sealed.

In the back of our minds, we knew things had to go just right for this Kentucky team. This wasnt last years overpowering edition. It wasnt the lock down defensive team of Calipari past. Instead, it was a team that found ways to accentuate its strengths, to play well enough down the stretch to give its fans reason to believe more was in store.

But then it was over, just like that, with a loss to a border rival, one game short of the Sweet 16, something that had not happened to the previous five UK teams Calipari had taken to the tournament.

Outside the locker room, former players Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Harrison, Tayshaun Prince and Ramon Harris stood and talked. Inside, there wasnt much talking. There were sad faces and bleary eyes and blank stares. Isaiah Briscoe sat in a chair, his legs up against the locker, just sitting, thinking.

Over at his locker, Murray had pulled the towel off his head and onto his shoulders. Someone asked about what he would remember about the fun he had playing with Ulis, with this team, especially over the final weeks.

Im going to miss playing basketball with these guys, he said softly. Its done. Our season is done.

There was really nothing else to say.

Source: http://www.kentucky.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/john-clay/article67142337.html

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First day of spring to bring snow to New York City area


Forecast: Cold start for first day of spring

NEW YORK -- Forecasters are predicting less snow around the Tri-State area from a storm on the first day of spring Sunday, but some spots could still see a few inches.

On Long Island, the National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for Nassau and western Suffolk counties and a winter storm watch for eastern Suffolk from noon Sunday until 6 a.m. Monday, reports CBS New York.

Philadelphia is also expected to get a dusting of snow on Sunday evening, reports CBS Philly.

Forecasters in northern New England say as much as 2 inches of snow could fall along the coast and less inland as the storm moves out to sea.

The forecast calls for a mix of light rain and snow developing early Sunday afternoon before changing to snow later in day. It will continue through Sunday night before tapering off Monday.

A trace to 2 inches of snow is expected for much of the area, with higher amounts possible on Long Island and southern Connecticut.

The highest totals are predicted for far eastern Long Island, where 4 to 6 inches of snow is possible.

As a precaution, the New York City Department of Sanitation has issued a snow preparedness alert ahead of the storm. The alert is effective as of 10 a.m. Sunday, according to officials.

But for what it"s worth, the snow probably won"t stick around for long. The forecast is calling for temperatures to be in the 40s Monday and Tuesday before climbing above normal later in the week.

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Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/first-day-of-spring-snow-new-york-city-area/

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