Oklahoma missed its first 15 three-point attempts, ultimately going 2-of-19 for the day, in a 72-60 loss to North Carolina in the NCAA's South men's basketball regional final.

Villanova's just-concluded win over Pitt in a thrilling East regional men's basketball final contained a couple of impressive streaky performances. Villanova made its first 21 free-throw attempts as a team and finished 22-of-23. For Pitt, forward DeJuan Blair was 9-of-9 from the field (article, box score).

The NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments always feature a number of team and individual stretches of hotness and coldness. Tonight's Oklahoma-Syracuse men's game featured what may have been the most pronounced stretch of dominance thus far.

With the Sooners leading by only a slight 28-24 margin with roughly two minutes to go in the first half, OU went on a 20-2 run (carrying over from the first to the second half) to increase its lead to 48-26. Eventually, it became a 28-5 run (OU's lead expanding to 56-29), before Syracuse even started to make a dent in the lead. A fairly large dent did the Orange manage, but it wasn't nearly enough as Syracuse fell 84-71 (play-by-play sheet).

During part of the time they were blowing the game open, the Sooners made 10 out of 11 field-goal attempts. OU's Tony Crocker, whose shooting played a major part in the Sooners' run, made six of his first eight three-point attempts of the game, as noted in the above-linked article.

Last night, another Big 12 team, Missouri, unleashed a 27-7 run on Memphis, en route to a 102-91 victory.

Seen any other big streaks? Share them in the Comments section!

Not since LeBron James in a 2007 NBA playoff game can I remember a single player taking over his team's scoring load to the degree that Texas Tech's Mike Singletary did in tonight's opening-round win by the Red Raiders over Texas A&M in the Big 12 tournament, 88-83.

In addition to Singletary's offensive prowess, the game was also noteworthy for Texas Tech's big comeback. A&M had led by 21 points early in the second half and by 18 with roughly 15 minutes left in the game. After a few different Red Raiders contributed points to cut the lead to 10 with roughly 10 minutes remaining, Singletary took over.

The graphic below documents what happened. I've copied and pasted part of ESPN.com's play-by-play sheet, editing out Texas A&M's side of the ledger and annotating all of Singletary's shots within the relevant time frame (green and red for field-goal attempts, blue for free-throw attempts; numbers equal point values and an "x" is for a miss). You can click on the chart to enlarge it.


From this chart, one can see several aspects of Singletary's amazing performance:

*He scored 29 straight Texas Tech points, part of his total of 43 points on the night.

*He made 9 out of 10 field-goal attempts, including a perfect 3-of-3 on threes. At a muscular 6-6, 230 pounds, Singletary arguably looks more like a linebacker than an outside-shooting specialist, and indeed he really hasn't jacked up many trey attempts during his time at Texas Tech (career statistics). As best I can tell, Singletary is not related to the legendary former NFL linebacker bearing the same name.

*He made 8 out of 10 free throws (not exactly amazing, but not bad, either).

Casual gaming: Not your Mom's PopCap games anymore

The term "casual gaming" only really is noticed by the "core" gamer. It is the one phrase that you can say and instantly see a forum war unravel right infront of your eyes. That phrase is somewhat to a threat to their very existance because they see it as the platform where they will be ignored and "core" gaming will go extinct.

You maybe playing some of these games and don't even know it. Bejeweled is one of the most prolific examples of casual games. The mom who is addicted to Zuma or the guy who spends his time playing tower defence games at work on the computer are good examples. I believe the definition for casual games goes beyond some marketing jargon. What seems casual to me is a game that you can invest a little in and get out quickly. Price should also factor in too. A game with simple gameplay mechanics and structure should reflect that in their price tag as well. It's all part of the investment of developers and mine. Yet don't confuse that with how much enjoyment it can give you. I can have as much fun with iDracula as something like Fable 2. Both are great games despite the $59 difference in price.

Yet many gamers and nongamers alike dismiss eachothers games. And many for valid reasons. But I believe the lines are getting blurry and it will be hard to distinguish the critirea of what's "casual" and what's "core". One new example is with the recent launch of Quake Live. Quake Live is basically good ol' Quake 3 Arena that you can play through your browser. Sounds pretty straight foward and it sure plays like it (Quake 3 was, I thought, one of the purest gaming experiences). Though what maybe overlooked is the leaps that this makes. A real fps that anyone can play on really any computer (unless your compy is from like 1995 and has a turbo button or a Mac) without installing any programs just some plug-ins on your browser. Couple with the fact you will be playing online with tons of people and you already a have a really fantastic idea. Still some people may say that they are really bad at these type of games. Thats ok too, because once you sign-up the first thing you do is play a match against a bot to test where your skill lies. Then afterwards you will be suggested games that contain players from a similar skill set that you possess. This makes playing matches very fun because you're not getting you ass handed to you by the people who don't do anything but play Quake since it came out. You can then make friends and add them to a list to play with them later or even clan matches if thats your cup of tea. Best of all is that your profile is saved to the site not your computer. So you can play on your profile from virtually where ever you can get online. So you could play a match or two on your break at work or pull an all nighter if you want to get your hands real dirty. 

Which goes back to my point about "casual" games. Quake's mechanics are simple enough i.e., shoot dudes. You don't have to invest much time or any money to get into it (Quake Live is ad supported, yet I haven't noticed any) to get alot of enjoyment. Just go to the site and in a matter of seconds you'll find yourself in a match. Play one or two and then just close the browser (or check out some random Youtube videos). Sounds pretty casual to me. Even your mom can jump in a game with ease. So in the end Quake Live blends elements of a  "casual" and "core" game (this is a real fps after all) into a great package that everybody should check out. Play some matches and then hit me up on the comments and I may come by to frag ya online. 

As described here and on my College Softball Blog, University of Washington softball pitcher Danielle Lawrie had her streak ended, of 90 consecutive innings without giving up an earned run. A member of Canada's 2008 Olympic team, Lawrie probably won't give up many more runs this season!

I hope you'll excuse some Maize 'n Blue bias on my part, but the University of Michigan (my graduate school alma mater) picked up a huge men's basketball win at Minnesota, 67-64, which may propel the Wolverines into the NCAA tournament field. Michigan (14-of-15) and Minnesota (18-of-19) each shot superbly from the free-throw line (box score).

The outside shooting of the Wolverines' Laval Lucas-Perry was the real difference-maker, as he hit three straight from behind the arc, beginning with 11:13 remaining in the game and Michigan trailing, 53-43 (play-by-play sheet).

Going back to the free-throw statistics, the Gophers came into the game hitting from the stripe with a .715 percentage (see pregame notes), although they also had a 13-of-14 FT performance earlier this season at Penn State.

According to this binomial calculator, the probability of a team with a prior .715 success rate making 18 (or more) out of 19 free-throw attempts is around .02 (2-in-100).

Michigan came in with a .748 free-throw percentage. With this baserate, the Wolverines' probability of making 14 (or more) out of 15 is around .08. For the joint occurrence of Minnesota's and Michigan's hot free-throw shooting, we would then multiply .02 X .08, which yields .0016, which we'll round to .002 (2-in-1,000). This calculation assumes the two teams' free-throw shooting performances are independent of each other; this might not be true as, with each team seeing how well the other was shooting free-throws, the Gophers and Wolverines could have influenced each other to shoot better from the stripe. Still, the two teams' combined free-throw shooting seems pretty unique!

The New York Times has an article on how the overall success rate on free-throw attempts has remained remarkably consistent over the last 50 years or so, both in collegiate and professional basketball. What, if anything, aggregate, league-wide, statistics have to say about individual performers' tendencies to stay in a "zone" of consistent proficiency (as opposed to the potential volatility of "hot" and "cold" stretches) is something to contemplate.

NFL Football Free Agency - Week 1 Recap

It's been a busy week in the NFL. The free agency period started on friday and after the first few days, a lot of activity has happened. The NFL doesn't waste any time in signing prized players, since only a portion of their contracts are guaranteed, unlike the MLB and NBA. The Redskins and Jets have already made a big splash, but will it pay off with a Super Bowl ring?

Albert Haynesworth - Haynesworth was a major reason why the Titans dominated the AFC regular season. They were a different team when he went out with an injury. The Washington Redskins offered him a $100 million dollar contract and he couldn't resist. I don't know why this deal reminds me of Dan Wilkinson, 'cause I don't see anyone really paying to see an NFL game to watch an interior lineman. The Redskins need help in other areas and they still need many pieces to compete in the loaded NFL East.

Kellen Winslow - The Browns traded Winslow to Tampa Bay for draft picks. I don't like this trade for Cleveland. If they are sold on Brady Quinn being their quarterback, he needs a pass-catching tight end to be effective. He likes to dump off short passes, like he did to John Carlson when he was at Notre Dame. I know Winslow is a problem child, but you have to think that they could work this out.

Fred Taylor - New England signed Taylor this week to a short-term contract. This reminds me of Corey Dillon's deal with the Pats. Taylor should have a similar role with New England. The backfield is a bit jumbled with Maroney and Faulk still there.

Sage Rosenfels - The Minnesota Vikings traded a fourth-round pick to the Texans for Rosenfels. I know Rosenfels gave a game away to Indianapolis early this season, but he is a proven back-up in the NFL. When he is in the game, he can rack up yardage.

Correll Buckhalter and J.J. Arrington - The Denver Broncos picked up both Buckhalter and Arrington. The Broncos don't have a number one running back and they still don't. Buckhalter has been a good fill-in for Westbrook and can catch out of the backfield. Arrington gives you a proven return-guy if they move Eddie Royal out of that role. I still see the Broncos drafting a young back in the draft.

Brandon Jones - The 49ers signed Brandon Jones for a multi-year contract. San Francisco must see something in the young receiver that the Titans looked over. The Titans lack and explosive receiver, but the Niners think Jones can fill that role. I think this signing could be a mistake.

Lito Shepherd - The Jets traded draft picks to Philadelphia for Shepherd. The Jets secondary is starting to take shape and I like what I see. Revis is a good, young talent and with Shepherd, it could be one of the best in the AFC.

Bart Scott - The Jets was busy and landed Bart Scott as their #1 target this free agency period. A lot of people thought that Ray Lewis would end up in New York, but they went with the younger, more talented linebacker. The Jets' defense will be the best in the AFC East.

Matt Cassel - Kansas City landed their franchise quarterback by trading a 2nd round draft pick for Cassel and the verteran, Mike Vrabel. Cassel with be a better long-term fit than Tyler Thigpen. "Thiggy" did cement himself as a competent back-up, in case Cassel struggles.

Brian Dawkins - The Eagles secondary is getting more and more depleted by the day. The Broncos picked up Brian Dawkins and will trot out Champ Bailey, Dre Bly, and Dawkins in their secondary. I know they are all kind of "long in the tooth," but they should play much better than last year.

Jon Kitna - The Dallas Cowboys traded their starting cornerback, Anthony Henry, to the Lions for Jon Kitna. This is probably the worst transaction since the Cowboys traded for Roy Williams. The Lions were going to cut Kitna, so I don't know why they would trade Henry for him. It saves Dallas less than $2 million dollars, so it can't be categorized as a money-saving move. I sure hope Tony Romo stays healthy or we will see the Kitna/Williams tandem once again.

Keith Brooking - Dallas signed the veteran and makes the Cowboys linebackers some of the oldest in the league. They should be adequate, but nothing to write home about.

Dan Orlovsky - The Texans needed a back-up QB, since they traded Rosenfels to the Vikings. Orlovsky did well last season, but has a lot to prove to be an adequate back-up to a fragile quarterback. The Texans need to draft a young QB in the draft as an insurance policy.

The Miami Heat lived up to its name last night, getting hot enough to go on a late 19-0 run to beat the New York Knicks.

Song Of The Day - Matt & Kim (Daylight)

My radio has been tuned to sports talk radio here of late. I don't really understand my interest in un-athletic, opinionated people yelling on the radio about over-paid jocks. I needed to change it up and I started to discover some music that I have been ignoring the last month or two. I turned it on my favorite station here in Columbus, OH and found a band called "Matt & Kim." I really like their style and think they are really talented.

Matt & Kim are a Brooklyn, NY-based band that met while going to school. Their album, "Grand" was released on The Fader Label. They are a punk/dance duo that have been working hard on the road to support their music. They are currently on a national tour and should be hitting a venue near you soon. Their sound is rejuvenating to the ears, something new.

If you want to find out more about Matt & Kim, check out their website @ MattAndKimMusic.com.