Since the creation of The Flickcast, there has rarely been a time or topic that I've felt strongly enough about to write an editorial rant, until now. There is a new fad swooping through the brains of up and coming actresses who feel like they need to close in on a wide and constantly sought after demographic. I'm talking, of course, about the close group of people across the globe who can be referred to as “nerds.”
Back in the day (and by “the day” I mean when Lord of The Rings were just books that nobody talked about and the closest thing we had to a superhero movie was Christopher Reeve wearing guyliner and blue tights) the concept of a “nerd” was someone with awkward social skills who took solace in the worlds of science fiction or fantasy.
Today, the line has obviously been blurred between what's considered “cool” and what's considered “nerdy.” Some of the biggest movies of the year are one's involving Orcs or robots from space. That's all fine and dandy, but enjoying these things isn't what makes you a “nerd.”
Since the explosion of Felicia Day, who's best known for her work with Joss Whedon on Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog or on her own series, The Guild (a webseries about the social misadventures of real gamers), there have been hundreds of copycats hoping to rake in some of that sweet nerdy celebrity. And given how much money the video game and comic book industries are now making, it's ripe for the picking.
One name that obviously floats to the top is Olivia Munn. Former host of Attack of the Show, who threw on a Princess Leia slave outfit a few times at San Diego Comic-Con and became an overnight geek goddess to lonely guys (and a few gals) across the world. Realistically, if you were to sit Munn down and ask her any question that a pale-faced, over or underweight fan would consider child's play, she'd be as clueless as ever.
2011年5月3日星期二
2011年4月26日星期二
Kobe Bryant misguided for refusing diagnostic tests
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant kept shaking his head.
He had just spent the past minute trying to walk off a sprained left ankle that he turned while guarding New Orleans guard Willie Green. But with Bryant initially on the ground wincing in pain and showing continuous signs of discomfort afterwards, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson sent in Shannon Brown to replace Bryant in the final minute of Sunday's Game 4 loss to New Orleans. Bryant initially refused to come out, indicating in some variation that he felt fine.
While Green shot his pair of free throws, Lakers trainer Gary Vitti attended to Bryant on the sideline, but he continued standing up. Finally, an agitated Jackson could be seen on the telecast telling Bryant to "sit down." A timeout helped alleviate the pain enough in Bryant's ankle to play him for the rest of the game, with exception to Brown playing in one defensive sequence. But that appeared to be just the beginning of Bryant stubbornly doing things on his own accord.
Despite the Lakers' insistence that he get an MRI and X-rays for precautionary reasons on Monday, the team has said Bryant refused taking such tests. He didn't talk to the media after Monday's practice to explain why, but Jackson's sarcasm and clear agitation suggested he wasn't budging on the issue. "We're trying to convince him it might be a good idea to do that," Jackson said.
It's a shame because Bryant knows his body really well and can play through most pain, a reason why Jackson and the team's medical training staff defers to him when it comes to determining his playing status. It's unfathomable he can't extend the same courtesy to the staff for willing to have precautionary tests. The rationale that perhaps that would force Bryant to sit out Tuesday when the Lakers host Game 5 against New Orleans simply doesn't fly.
"It doesn't matter," Jakcson said of whether Bryant may be afraid that the test results would indicate his ankle sprain is more seriously hurt than he believes it might be. "He's going to play anyway. That's his answer."
This isn't even a debate on whether he should sit or should he play. Given the stakes of a 2-2 series, Bryant's clearly doing everything possible to make sure he's in the best shape to walk onto Staples Center court Tuesday night. After using crutches to leave New Orleans Arena and onto the team bus, Bryant spent the four-hour flight receiving various treatment, including icing, electronic stimulation and massage therapy. As Bryant told reporters after Game 4, "It's going to take a lot to stop me to play. We'll make sure we stay on top of it."
Part of staying on top of it should involve taking some test for pretty obvious reasons. The Lakers' medical staff will have a better idea of the severity of it and how to treat it, and Bryant, in turn, will know as well. This is more of a trust issue. For all the round the clock treatment and rehabilitation, Vitti, physical therapist Judy Seto, massage therapist Marko Yrjovuori and athletic performance coordinator Alex McKechnie provide for Bryant, the least he could do is return the favor. For someone who's fixated on knowing every single detail surrounding his body, Bryant's refusal to take the diagnostic tests only makes it harder for the Lakers' medical staff to determine exactly what treatment he needs to keep his ankle healthy throughout the postseason.
It's possible Bryant may decide to have one privately without the team disclosing any information. But there's no indication that has happened. As much as Bryant clearly doesn't want anything to get in the way of him playing to pursue a sixth ring, his stubbornness is making it harder for both himself and his teammates.
Said Jackson about Bryant: "He won't let them deal with it."
He had just spent the past minute trying to walk off a sprained left ankle that he turned while guarding New Orleans guard Willie Green. But with Bryant initially on the ground wincing in pain and showing continuous signs of discomfort afterwards, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson sent in Shannon Brown to replace Bryant in the final minute of Sunday's Game 4 loss to New Orleans. Bryant initially refused to come out, indicating in some variation that he felt fine.
While Green shot his pair of free throws, Lakers trainer Gary Vitti attended to Bryant on the sideline, but he continued standing up. Finally, an agitated Jackson could be seen on the telecast telling Bryant to "sit down." A timeout helped alleviate the pain enough in Bryant's ankle to play him for the rest of the game, with exception to Brown playing in one defensive sequence. But that appeared to be just the beginning of Bryant stubbornly doing things on his own accord.
Despite the Lakers' insistence that he get an MRI and X-rays for precautionary reasons on Monday, the team has said Bryant refused taking such tests. He didn't talk to the media after Monday's practice to explain why, but Jackson's sarcasm and clear agitation suggested he wasn't budging on the issue. "We're trying to convince him it might be a good idea to do that," Jackson said.
It's a shame because Bryant knows his body really well and can play through most pain, a reason why Jackson and the team's medical training staff defers to him when it comes to determining his playing status. It's unfathomable he can't extend the same courtesy to the staff for willing to have precautionary tests. The rationale that perhaps that would force Bryant to sit out Tuesday when the Lakers host Game 5 against New Orleans simply doesn't fly.
"It doesn't matter," Jakcson said of whether Bryant may be afraid that the test results would indicate his ankle sprain is more seriously hurt than he believes it might be. "He's going to play anyway. That's his answer."
This isn't even a debate on whether he should sit or should he play. Given the stakes of a 2-2 series, Bryant's clearly doing everything possible to make sure he's in the best shape to walk onto Staples Center court Tuesday night. After using crutches to leave New Orleans Arena and onto the team bus, Bryant spent the four-hour flight receiving various treatment, including icing, electronic stimulation and massage therapy. As Bryant told reporters after Game 4, "It's going to take a lot to stop me to play. We'll make sure we stay on top of it."
Part of staying on top of it should involve taking some test for pretty obvious reasons. The Lakers' medical staff will have a better idea of the severity of it and how to treat it, and Bryant, in turn, will know as well. This is more of a trust issue. For all the round the clock treatment and rehabilitation, Vitti, physical therapist Judy Seto, massage therapist Marko Yrjovuori and athletic performance coordinator Alex McKechnie provide for Bryant, the least he could do is return the favor. For someone who's fixated on knowing every single detail surrounding his body, Bryant's refusal to take the diagnostic tests only makes it harder for the Lakers' medical staff to determine exactly what treatment he needs to keep his ankle healthy throughout the postseason.
It's possible Bryant may decide to have one privately without the team disclosing any information. But there's no indication that has happened. As much as Bryant clearly doesn't want anything to get in the way of him playing to pursue a sixth ring, his stubbornness is making it harder for both himself and his teammates.
Said Jackson about Bryant: "He won't let them deal with it."
2011年4月24日星期日
Each FBS College Football Team's Greatest Quarterback Ever
Quarterback. It's the most glamorous position in all of sports.
College football. One of the most storied and glorified sports in the world.
Combine the two, and we've seen some pretty spectacular quarterbacks on the college level. They've come in all shapes, sizes, heights, weights and talent levels, but the great ones all separated themselves by winning and performing at a high level.
Some schools have had better overall QB play than others, and while some of the all-time greats may not be on this list due to another all-timer being from the same program, we've decided to name the greatest QB from every FBS program.
Some picks may shock you
College football. One of the most storied and glorified sports in the world.
Combine the two, and we've seen some pretty spectacular quarterbacks on the college level. They've come in all shapes, sizes, heights, weights and talent levels, but the great ones all separated themselves by winning and performing at a high level.
Some schools have had better overall QB play than others, and while some of the all-time greats may not be on this list due to another all-timer being from the same program, we've decided to name the greatest QB from every FBS program.
Some picks may shock you
2011年4月7日星期四
10 Signs That Food Inflation Is Alive and Well at Retail
After the recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicted tight corn supplies, prices spiked almost 5%, in a blink.
Why should you care? Because rising corn prices all but guarantee you'll be paying more to put food on your table. (Aside from being a summer BBQ favorite, corn is a critical input for livestock producers and food makers.)
And as an analyst from Farm Futures Magazine said Thursday, “We could see double-digit corn prices if a legitimate weather scare makes headlines on Wall Street this summer.”
But don't mistake this as a warning of food inflation to come. Truth is, it's already here.
And for consumers, food producers are merely masking the uptick in prices with a concept that Seinfeld's George Costanza knows all too well: Shrinkage!
You see, food companies don't need to raise their prices to charge more for a product. All they need to do is camouflage the increases by selling less food for the same amount, often in the same package.
Here are 10 examples to prove that this is exactly what's happening:
Chicken of the Sea Albacore Tuna: Now comes in a 5-ounce can, instead of a 6-ounce can – a 16% change.
Doritos, Tostitos and Fritos: Although the company swears it's a “limited time offer,” bags now contain 20% fewer chips than in 2009.
Nabisco Premium Saltines: Kraft (KFT) claims its new “Fresh Stacks” packaging “offers the benefit of added freshness.” It also holds about 15% fewer crackers.
Unwrapped Reese's Minis: Introduced in February, the cost per ounce is 54% higher than the foil-wrapped Miniatures. And they're smaller, too.
H.J. Heinz (NYSE: HNZ): Talk about a condiment caper. Not only have prices for ketchup, condiments and sauces risen, the company is also selling smaller, 5-ounce bottles.
Classico Pasta Sauce: While Italian grandmothers will still make their homemade sauce, average Americans won't have any extra sauce left in which to dunk their bread. Classico went from offering 10-ounce bottles to 8.1 ounces – a 20% reduction.
Edy's Ice Cream: No more drowning our sorrows in a big ol' tub of ice cream. Edy's has reduced its standard size from two liters to 1.5 liters – a 25% change.
Tropicana: As the cost of oranges rose, Tropicana decided we didn't need as much of our daily allowance of Vitamin C. The standard carton size shrunk to 59 ounces from 64 ounces – a 7.9% change.
Hebrew National Hot Dogs: Pinch an ounce and consumers won't notice, right? Wrong. The standard package now weighs in at 11 ounces, down from the previous 12 ounces – an 8.3% change.
Kraft American Cheese: Forget making sure you have enough buns for your burgers -- you'll run out of cheese first. Instead of 24 slices, you now only get 22 slices – an 8.3% reduction.
As John T. Gourville, a marketing professor at Harvard Business School says, “Consumers are generally more sensitive to changes in prices than changes in quantity. And companies try to do it [reduce amounts] in such a way that you don't notice.”
It's only natural to expect the shrinkage to continue as corn prices and other commodity costs rise. That is, until it's so obvious that food companies can't avoid outright price increases. So don't be fooled by the clever packaging. Food inflation is alive and well. If you have any doubt, start paying a little more attention at the checkout line.
Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.
Why should you care? Because rising corn prices all but guarantee you'll be paying more to put food on your table. (Aside from being a summer BBQ favorite, corn is a critical input for livestock producers and food makers.)
And as an analyst from Farm Futures Magazine said Thursday, “We could see double-digit corn prices if a legitimate weather scare makes headlines on Wall Street this summer.”
But don't mistake this as a warning of food inflation to come. Truth is, it's already here.
And for consumers, food producers are merely masking the uptick in prices with a concept that Seinfeld's George Costanza knows all too well: Shrinkage!
You see, food companies don't need to raise their prices to charge more for a product. All they need to do is camouflage the increases by selling less food for the same amount, often in the same package.
Here are 10 examples to prove that this is exactly what's happening:
Chicken of the Sea Albacore Tuna: Now comes in a 5-ounce can, instead of a 6-ounce can – a 16% change.
Doritos, Tostitos and Fritos: Although the company swears it's a “limited time offer,” bags now contain 20% fewer chips than in 2009.
Nabisco Premium Saltines: Kraft (KFT) claims its new “Fresh Stacks” packaging “offers the benefit of added freshness.” It also holds about 15% fewer crackers.
Unwrapped Reese's Minis: Introduced in February, the cost per ounce is 54% higher than the foil-wrapped Miniatures. And they're smaller, too.
H.J. Heinz (NYSE: HNZ): Talk about a condiment caper. Not only have prices for ketchup, condiments and sauces risen, the company is also selling smaller, 5-ounce bottles.
Classico Pasta Sauce: While Italian grandmothers will still make their homemade sauce, average Americans won't have any extra sauce left in which to dunk their bread. Classico went from offering 10-ounce bottles to 8.1 ounces – a 20% reduction.
Edy's Ice Cream: No more drowning our sorrows in a big ol' tub of ice cream. Edy's has reduced its standard size from two liters to 1.5 liters – a 25% change.
Tropicana: As the cost of oranges rose, Tropicana decided we didn't need as much of our daily allowance of Vitamin C. The standard carton size shrunk to 59 ounces from 64 ounces – a 7.9% change.
Hebrew National Hot Dogs: Pinch an ounce and consumers won't notice, right? Wrong. The standard package now weighs in at 11 ounces, down from the previous 12 ounces – an 8.3% change.
Kraft American Cheese: Forget making sure you have enough buns for your burgers -- you'll run out of cheese first. Instead of 24 slices, you now only get 22 slices – an 8.3% reduction.
As John T. Gourville, a marketing professor at Harvard Business School says, “Consumers are generally more sensitive to changes in prices than changes in quantity. And companies try to do it [reduce amounts] in such a way that you don't notice.”
It's only natural to expect the shrinkage to continue as corn prices and other commodity costs rise. That is, until it's so obvious that food companies can't avoid outright price increases. So don't be fooled by the clever packaging. Food inflation is alive and well. If you have any doubt, start paying a little more attention at the checkout line.
Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.
2011年3月20日星期日
More drama in Friday's NCAA tournament action
What mayhem will March Madness bring on Friday?
After a scintillating day of action Thursday, the NCAA tournament takes the court again today with 16 more games that will complete the second round and get us ready for the weekend.
And once again, USA TODAY is at the ready as Erick Smith and Tim Gardner will bring you updates from all the day's early games right here in Campus Rivalry.
6:58 p.m.: That's all for the afternoon session as Ohio State finishes off Texas-San Antonio 75-46. Enjoy the games tonight and we'll be back tomorrow afternoon.
6:49 p.m.: Last media timeout in Cleveland. Ohio State cruising 70-39 with 3:43 left.
6:40 p.m.: Ohio State's lead is up to 30 after Dallas Lauderdale delivers a thunderous dunk. Just a few minutes away from Kansas and Boston University tipping off in Tulsa.
6:35 p.m.: About halfway through the second half. Ohio State up 57-32 on Texas-San Antonio. Good time for the Buckeyes to start resting people in advance of their third-round matchup against George Mason.
6:28 p.m.: Last game of the afternoon session is Ohio State and Texas-San Antonio. Buckeyes comfortably ahead 50-27 with 14 minutes left in front of the home crowd in Cleveland.
6:24 p.m.: Florida State fans close the game with a Seminole chant as their team beats Texas A&M 57-50. FSU advances to face Notre Dame in the third round on Sunday.
6:21 p.m.: So much for the run by Texas-San Antonio. Ohio State responds with nine unanswered points to push its lead to 46-26 with 15:20 left.
6:19 p.m.: Things looking good for Florida State. Derwin Kitchen hits two free throws with 2:07 left and the Seminoles lead Texas A&M 53-42.
6:15 p.m.: Play back under way in Cleveland. Texas-San Antonio gets the first five points of the second half to pull within 37-37 of Ohio State.
6:11 p.m.: Last media timeout in Chicago. Florida State went up eight on a three-point play by Derwin Kitchen. Texas A&M responded with a Khris Middleton layup off an offensive rebound. Seminoles lead 48-42 with 3:43 left.
6:05 p.m.: Chris Singleton delivers a big three for Florida State in his first game back from a broken foot. Seminoles lead Texas A&M 45-40 with just under seven minutes remaining.
5:59 p.m.: Texas A&M went more than six minutes without scoring and saw an eight-point lead turn into a five-point deficit. But consecutive scores have pulled the Aggies within 36-35 of Florida State with 10 minutes left.
5:54 p.m.: Halftime in Cleveland. Ohio State holding a 16-point advantage at 37-21 led by 15 points from William Buford, and nine apiece from Jon Diebler and Jared Sullinger.
5:50 p.m.: Florida State keeps its surge going with a couple more easy baskets. Texas A&M has hit a scoring drought in the last five minutes, and the Seminoles lead 34-31.
5:46 p.m.: Ohio State now making it look easy. The Buckeyes are on a 22-6 run after a three by Jon Diebler and lead Texas-San Antonio 36-17 with 1:34 left in the half.
5:42 p.m.: Texas A&M looked on the verge of breaking open a close game before a 7-0 run by Florida State left the Aggies ahead 31-30 with 15:16 left. Derwin Kitchen started the move with a three-pointer and Bernard James' dunk capped it.
5:38 p.m.: William Buford is leading the way with 15 points as Ohio State has a 25-17 lead on Texas-San Antonio with 4:54 left in the first half. Buford is 6-of-9 from the field and 3-of-4 from the three-point line.
5:33 p.m.: Second half between Texas A&M and Florida State is under way. Aggies get an early three-pointer Nathan Walkup and lead 29-23 after a slow scoring start in the first half.
5:27 p.m.: Ohio State now taking control against Texas-San Antonio. It's 17-11 in favor of the Buckeyes halfway through the first half.
5:22 p.m.: Duke has finished off Hampton 87-45. After a late scoring binge, Kyrie Irving finished with 14 points to lead all Blue Devils players. A good sign for the top seed, which plays Michigan on Sunday.
5:20 p.m.: No. 1 seed Ohio State is getting an early test from Texas-San Antonio. The Roadrunners lead 9-7 with 15:19 left in the first half.
5:15 p.m.: Lamont Jones drilled two free throws with 7.4 seconds left to put Arizona up 77-74. The Wildcats then fouled to deny Memphis a three-pointer to tie the game. After Joe Jackson made the first shot, he intentionally missed the second. Wesley Witherspoon got the offensive rebound, but Derrick Williams blocked Witherspoon's shot to secure a 77-75 win for Arizona.
5:12 p.m.: Memphis still has hope. Joe Jackson hits two free throws, then a steal and basket cuts Arizona's lead to 75-74 with 12.8 seconds left.
5:09 p.m.: Arizona's Jamelle Horne hits two free throws after barely surviving the Memphis pressure. Wildcats up 75-70 with 24 seconds left.
5:05 p.m.: Arizona clinging to a 73-30 lead with 38.8 seconds left after a bucket by Memphis. Wildcats have the ball and will need to keep possession and make free throws. Tigers want a steal.
5:03 p.m.: Kyrie Irving has his first field goal on a driving layup. Irving showed nice explosion on the play so his toe seems fine. Duke leads 73-39.
4:58 p.m.: Derrick Wiliams is carrying Arizona as he has in most games. The Wildcats forward's three-pointer puts his team ahead of Memphis 68-65. A little less than four minutes left.
4:54 p.m.: Only drama in the Duke game is whether Kyrie Irving will make a field goal. The freshman is 0-for-3 from the field in his return to action. Devils lead Hampton 67-38 with 7:44 left.
4:50 p.m.: Texas A&M has finally shown some signs of life in Chicago. Aggies have tied up Florida State at 12 with 7:35 left in the first half. Some good news for the Seminoles. Chris Singleton has checked into the game after missing a month with a broken foot.
4:46 p.m.: A nice run by Memphis has the Tigers out front of Arizona 65-61 with 7:09 left. Memphis is 6-0f-12 from three, while the Wildcats are 3-of-15.
4:41 p.m.: Points still at a premium in Chicago. Ten minutes into the game, Florida State leads Texas A&M 12-5. Aggies are 2-of-9 from the field and have five turnovers.
4:38 p.m.: Catching up on other action after that wild finish in Cleveland. Duke is rolling against Hampton 55-25 after a 16-3 run to start the second half. Arizona leads Memphis 56-55 with 10:34 left.
4:36 p.m.: George Mason does it again! Corey Stokes missed a jumper in the final seconds, the Patriots rebounded and Mike Morrison dunked to ice a 61-57 defeat of Villanova.
4:34 p.m.: Luke Hancock drilled a three to put George Mason ahead 59-57. Villanova's attempt misses but a jump ball is called on the rebound. Wildcats have the possession arrow and have 9.1 seconds left to tie or win.
4:33 p.m.: Corey Fisher hit three free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt and Villanova goes ahead of George Mason 57-56 with 31.7 seconds left.
4:30 p.m.: George Mason takes the lead on a rebound dunk by Mike Morrison. That caps a 8-0 run to put the Patriots ahead 56-54 with 54.7 seconds left. Villanova has used its final timeout.
4:28 p.m.: No sign of offense in Chicago. Florida State leads Texas A&M 3-0 at the first media timeout. Seminoles 1-of-5 from the field. Aggies are 0-for-4.
4:26 p.m.: Antonio Pena missed a pair of free throws, and George Mason got the ball inside to Ryan Pearson, who was fouled on a made basket with 1:34 left. Pearson converts the three-point play, and Patriots now are tied with Villanova at 54.
4:23 p.m.: A clutch three-pointer in the corner by Isaiah Tate has pulled George Mason within 54-51 of Villanova. Just 1:54 left. Time for the Patriots to play good defense and get the ball back.
4:21 p.m.: Florida State and Texas A&M have tipped in Chicago. Winner gets to face Notre Dame.
4:17 p.m.: Arizona has some breathing room early in the second half after a 7-2 surge. Wildcats out front 48-40 after Derrick Williams has scored five points in the run.
4:14 p.m.: Timeout in Cleveland with 3:53 left. Villanova up 52-46 after a three by Corey Stokes. George Mason hurt by missing two front ends of a one-and-one in the last two minutes.
4:10 p.m.: George Mason and Villanova trading blows in a tight game with 5:31 left. Wildcats lead 49-46 after a clutch jumper by Corey Fisher, who leads all scorers with 15 points.
4:07 p.m.: A very successful first half for Duke. Blue Devils lead Hampton 39-22, while Kyrie Irving has gotten significant action to knock off some of the rust gained during his layoff. Nolan Smith and Mason Plumlee each have seven to lead a balanced scoring attack.
4:02 p.m.: Villanova with a little breathing room against George Mason. Wildcats up 47-42 with 9:01 left after a pair of free throws by Maalik Wayans.
3:59 p.m.: Kyrie Irving is on the board with two free throws. The Duke guard still waiting for his first field goal as the Blue Devils are rolling against Hampton 33-18 with under four minutes left in the first half.
3:56 p.m.: Arizona has gone to the half with a 41-38 edge on Memphis. The Tigers started fast, but the Wildcats responded behind 22 combined points from Derrick Williams and Lamont Jones.
3:54 p.m.: George Mason has pulled to within 41-40 of Villanova after seven consecutive points by Luke Hancock. About 12 minutes left in Cleveland. Looking like this will go down to the wire.
3:47 p.m.: Notre Dame finishes off Akron 69-56. Methodical victory for the Irish, who never got flustered when the Zips tried to make a run. On to the third round.
3:42 p.m.: It was rusty start for Kyrie Irving. In about five minutes of action, he charged and missed his only shot. Duke leads Hampton 22-12 halfway through the first half.
3:40 p.m.: Notre Dame looks like it will comfortably reach the third round. Irish up 65-53 on Akron with 1:37 remaining. Zips struggling from the field and three-point line.
3:37 p.m.: Arizona has closed within one of Memphis on Kyle Fogg layup. Tigers still ahead at 26-25, but they've lost the momentum from their strong start.
3:33 p.m: Kyrie Irving's first touch came in a fast break situation. The Duke guard tried to go through two Hampton defenders and was called for a charge. Devils lead 18-6.
3:30 p.m.: Coming out of the first media time out, Duke leads Hampton 13-4. Of bigger significance to the Blue Devils is the return of Kyrie Irving. The freshman guard has checked in with 15:19 left.
3:28 p.m.: Akron has gone ice cold for the second time in the game. The Zips last field goal came at 10:05 left in the half. Notre Dame has used that drought to extend its lead to 59-45 with 4:18 remaining.
3:23 p.m.: Memphis started fast and has maintained its lead on Arizona. Wesley Witherspoon has seven points off the bench for the Tigers, who lead 21-16 after 10 minutes.
3:20 p.m.: Coming out of a media timeout, Notre Dame holds a 55-45 advantage on Akron with 7:25 left. The Irish haven't put away the Zips, but the Zips haven't gotten close enough to put a lot of pressure on the Irish.
3:17 p.m.: Minutes way from tip in Charlotte. Duke will face Hampton, but most eyes will be on Kyrie Irving, who returns after 3 1/2 months off due to a toe injury.
3:12 p.m.: George Mason had a nice stretch in the final minutes of the first half before an Antonio Pena jumper gave Villanova a 35-29 edge after 20 minutes. Wildcats guards Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes have combined for 24 points.
3:11 p.m.: Notre Dame hasn't put away Akron as we head to 10 minutes left in Chicago. The Zips trailed by 12, but a 11-4 run has trimmed the Irish lead to 49-44.
3:05 p.m.: Make that 10 of 11 of the first points for Memphis after a three-point play by Antonio Barton. No. 5 seed Arizona trails 10-1.
3:03 p.m.: Memphis has seven of the first eight points in Tulsa. Three minutes into the game, it's the Tigers ahead of Arizona 7-1.
3:00 p.m.: Villanova continues its strong first half against George Mason. Malik Wayans scored five points in a 8-2 run to extend the Wildcats margin to 31-21 with 3:55 left in the first half.
2:58 p.m.: Akron still hasn't scored in the first five minutes of the second half, and Notre Dame has pushed its lead to 43-30.
2:53 p.m.: George Mason calls timeout with 5:55 left in the first half. Villanova out front of the Patriots 25-17. Akron asks for its own timeout in Chicago. Five quick points by Notre Dame in the second half have the Irish up 39-30.
2:47 p.m.: George Mason and Villanova are the only two teams in action right now. Wildcats still leading the Patriots. It's 23-17 with 7:45 left in the first half. Notre Dame and Akron about to start the second half.
2:44 p.m.: Michigan has finished off Tennessee 75-45. A listless second half for the Volunteers, who only trailed by four after the first 20 minutes. Zack Novak led five Wolverines in double figures with 14 points.
2:41 p.m.: A nice first 10 minutes for Villanova, which needed some early success. Corey Stokes has nine points on three three-pointers. Wildcats lead George Mason 21-15.
2:36 p.m.: There may be less than four minutes left in Bruce Pearl's tenure at Tennessee. Volunteers trail Michigan 70-40. Wolverines have four scorers in double figures and will cruise into the second round with a likely matchup against Duke.
2:33 p.m.: First half is over in Chicago. Notre Dame out front 34-30 on Akron. Irish started fast, but the Zips have gotten back into the game after trailing by as much as 11.
2:30 p.m.: Villanova being more aggressive that during its late-season win streak. A three-point play by Corey Fisher has Wildcats up 9-7 on George Mason with 14:24 left in the first half.
2:26 p.m.: Texas has advanced with a 85-81 defeat of Oakland. The Grizzlies battled throughout, but the inside game of the Longhorns was too much. Reserve guard J'Covan Brown led Texas with 21 points.
2:25 p.m.: Akron couldn't hit anything in the early going, but the Zips have started to catch fire. A triple by Alex Abreu pulls them within 34-30 of Notre Dame with 1:35 left in the first half.
2:23 p.m.: Michigan still holding a comfortable lead on Tennessee. Wolverines out front 59-40 with 9:23 left. Not much life in the Volunteers right now.
2:20 p.m.: George Mason and Villanova have started in Cleveland. Patriots looking to make another deep tournament run as they did in 2006. Wildcats looking to turn around a slump at the end of the year.
2:18 p.m.: After a questionable foul call on Oakland, Texas hit one of two free throws. Then a Grizzlies three-point attempt went in and out. Longhorns rebound, and hit two free throws. 83-75 in favor of Texas with under a minute left.
2:15 p.m.: Oakland is now within five of Texas after a three-pointer by Larry Wright. Still 1:21 left for the Grizzlies to try and rally.
2:12 p.m.: It looks like Mike Hamilton's comments about Bruce Pearl's job security have inspired Tennessee. Michigan extends its second half run to 19-2 after a series of three-pointers by Zack Novak. Wolverines now lead 52-31 with 13:40 left.
2:09 p.m.: Oakland is within single digits after a three-point play by Reggie Hamilton. Texas still is up 78-70 with 2:28 left.
2:07 p.m.: Michigan is on a 12-2 run at the start of the second half to extend its edge on Tennessee to 45-31 with 15:34 left. Tobias Harris has 19 points, but nobody else on the Vols has more than four points.
2:05 p.m.: Notre Dame is hot. Akron is cold. No surprise that the Irish are out front 21-10 about halfway through the first half. The Zips are 4-of-18 from the field. Notre Dame has four three-pointers.
2:01 p.m.: Texas still has comfortable margin on Oakland with 5:19 remaining. Led by Jordan Hamilton's 19 points, the Longhorns lead 76-63.
1:58 p.m.: Michigan has built upon is late momentum from the first half and extended their advantage on Tennessee to 40-31. Vols call timeout with 17:46 left after consecutive layups by Jordan Morgan.
1:55 p.m.: Two Notre Dame three-pointers are part of a 10-0 run by the Irish, who lead Akron 16-6. Zips are just 2-for-13 from the field with 12:57 left in the first half.
1:50 p.m.: First media timeout in Chicago. Akron and Notre Dame knotted at 6-6. Tim Abromaitis has all six points for the Irish.
1:48 p.m.: Under 10 minutes left in Tulsa. Oakland has pulled within 66-54 of Texas after being down 17 earlier in the half. Still a lot of work for the Grizzlies, who still cannot control the size of the Longhorns.
1:44 p.m.: Notre Dame and Akron have tipped in Chicago. The Irish got the first points on three foul shots by Tim Abromaitis. Darryl Roberts responded with a jumper and it is 3-2 early.
1:39 p.m.: Texas starting to assert itself with a run taking their lead to 63-46 on a Jai Lucas three-pointer. Oakland needs a response with just under 13 minutes left.
1:33 p.m.: A runner by Darius Morris at the buzzer gives Michigan a 33-29 margin after 20 minutes. Good first half for the Wolverines, especially with Tim Hardaway Jr. only contributing two points.
1:32 p.m.: Oakland and Texas going back-and-forth with the Longhorns up 53-44.
1:30 p.m.: Inside of two minutes left in the first half and Michigan is holding a 31-27 edge on Tennessee. About 10 minutes away from Notre Dame-Akron tip.
1:25 p.m.: Second half under way in Tulsa. Texas has first possession and a 46-38 lead.
1:22 p.m.: Michigan's mini-run became a full-fledged 10-0 run. Wolverines have scored 10 straight and lead Tennessee 27-23.
1:20 p.m.: Michigan responds with their own mini-run capped by a three from Matt Vogrich. Tennessee's lead trimmed to 23-22 with 5:23 left in first half.
1:14 p.m.:Tennessee eases ahead of Michigan 22-17 with 7:14 left in the first half as Tobias Harris scores seven points in a 9-4 run. Harris almost matching with Wolverines with 15 points.
1:07 p.m.: A little more than halfway through the first half between Tennessee and Michigan and it's tied at 13. Wolverines only 30% from the field and 1-of-7 from the three-point line. Also Tim Hardaway Jr. has two early fouls.
1:03 p.m.: Texas is shooting the lights out at 58.8% (20-of-34). But Oakland is hanging around with the Longhorns, who only lead 46-38 against the gritty Golden Grizzlies at half. Will be interesting what happens if Texas cools off.
12:56 p.m.: It took five minutes, but someone other than Tobias Harris has scored for Tennessee. Scotty Hopson's three puts the Vols up 11-9 with 14:15 left in the first half.
12:53 p.m.: Oakland has put together a quick 7-0 run which included by a long three from Travis Bader, who leads all scorers with 10 points. Texas leads 33-28 with 3:50 left in the first half.
12:49 p.m.: First media timeout in Charlotte with Tennessee leading Michigan 8-7 with 15:24 left in the first half. It's been the Tobias Harris show for the Vols. He has scored all eight points, while rest of team is 0-for-3.
12:45 p.m.: Texas pushes its lead to 29-19 with 7:55 left in the first half. J'Covan Brown has seven points off the bench to lead in the Longhorns. Grizzlies are hitting 50% from the field but are 2-of-5 from the free-thrown line and have four turnovers.
12:41 p.m.: Ball is in the air in Charlotte. Tennessee and Michigan, two schools with outstanding fight songs, battling for berth in third round that likely will mean a matchup against Duke.
12:38 p.m.: Hot shooting has Texas ahead 25-17 with 9:52 left in the first half. Longhorns are 10-of-16 (62.5% ) from the field after Cory Joseph hit a three-pointer.
12:31 p.m.: Texas has extended its lead to 19-13 with 11:49 left in the first half. It's been balanced scoring for the Longhorns, who have four players each with four points and J'Covan Brown with a three-pointer that came just before the media timeout.
12:27 p.m.: Interesting matchup in the second game to tip today between Tennessee and Michigan. Volunteers AD Mike Hamilton made some comments earlier this week that cast doubt on coach Bruce Pearl's future. A win against the Wolverines could help Pearl keep his job.
12:22 p.m.: Good back-and-forth action between Oakland and Texas. Longhorns are using their size to dominate the paint and lead 10-7 with 15:03 left in the first half.
12:17 p.m.: Texas guard Dogus Balbay gets the first two points of the game on a driving layup. Oakland misses a three on its first possession.
12:12: p.m.: About five minutes away from the start of Texas-Oakland. Don't be surprised if this is close throughout. The Longhorns lost three of their last five before making the Big 12 tournament final. The Grizzlies have won 18 of 19.
After a scintillating day of action Thursday, the NCAA tournament takes the court again today with 16 more games that will complete the second round and get us ready for the weekend.
And once again, USA TODAY is at the ready as Erick Smith and Tim Gardner will bring you updates from all the day's early games right here in Campus Rivalry.
6:58 p.m.: That's all for the afternoon session as Ohio State finishes off Texas-San Antonio 75-46. Enjoy the games tonight and we'll be back tomorrow afternoon.
6:49 p.m.: Last media timeout in Cleveland. Ohio State cruising 70-39 with 3:43 left.
6:40 p.m.: Ohio State's lead is up to 30 after Dallas Lauderdale delivers a thunderous dunk. Just a few minutes away from Kansas and Boston University tipping off in Tulsa.
6:35 p.m.: About halfway through the second half. Ohio State up 57-32 on Texas-San Antonio. Good time for the Buckeyes to start resting people in advance of their third-round matchup against George Mason.
6:28 p.m.: Last game of the afternoon session is Ohio State and Texas-San Antonio. Buckeyes comfortably ahead 50-27 with 14 minutes left in front of the home crowd in Cleveland.
6:24 p.m.: Florida State fans close the game with a Seminole chant as their team beats Texas A&M 57-50. FSU advances to face Notre Dame in the third round on Sunday.
6:21 p.m.: So much for the run by Texas-San Antonio. Ohio State responds with nine unanswered points to push its lead to 46-26 with 15:20 left.
6:19 p.m.: Things looking good for Florida State. Derwin Kitchen hits two free throws with 2:07 left and the Seminoles lead Texas A&M 53-42.
6:15 p.m.: Play back under way in Cleveland. Texas-San Antonio gets the first five points of the second half to pull within 37-37 of Ohio State.
6:11 p.m.: Last media timeout in Chicago. Florida State went up eight on a three-point play by Derwin Kitchen. Texas A&M responded with a Khris Middleton layup off an offensive rebound. Seminoles lead 48-42 with 3:43 left.
6:05 p.m.: Chris Singleton delivers a big three for Florida State in his first game back from a broken foot. Seminoles lead Texas A&M 45-40 with just under seven minutes remaining.
5:59 p.m.: Texas A&M went more than six minutes without scoring and saw an eight-point lead turn into a five-point deficit. But consecutive scores have pulled the Aggies within 36-35 of Florida State with 10 minutes left.
5:54 p.m.: Halftime in Cleveland. Ohio State holding a 16-point advantage at 37-21 led by 15 points from William Buford, and nine apiece from Jon Diebler and Jared Sullinger.
5:50 p.m.: Florida State keeps its surge going with a couple more easy baskets. Texas A&M has hit a scoring drought in the last five minutes, and the Seminoles lead 34-31.
5:46 p.m.: Ohio State now making it look easy. The Buckeyes are on a 22-6 run after a three by Jon Diebler and lead Texas-San Antonio 36-17 with 1:34 left in the half.
5:42 p.m.: Texas A&M looked on the verge of breaking open a close game before a 7-0 run by Florida State left the Aggies ahead 31-30 with 15:16 left. Derwin Kitchen started the move with a three-pointer and Bernard James' dunk capped it.
5:38 p.m.: William Buford is leading the way with 15 points as Ohio State has a 25-17 lead on Texas-San Antonio with 4:54 left in the first half. Buford is 6-of-9 from the field and 3-of-4 from the three-point line.
5:33 p.m.: Second half between Texas A&M and Florida State is under way. Aggies get an early three-pointer Nathan Walkup and lead 29-23 after a slow scoring start in the first half.
5:27 p.m.: Ohio State now taking control against Texas-San Antonio. It's 17-11 in favor of the Buckeyes halfway through the first half.
5:22 p.m.: Duke has finished off Hampton 87-45. After a late scoring binge, Kyrie Irving finished with 14 points to lead all Blue Devils players. A good sign for the top seed, which plays Michigan on Sunday.
5:20 p.m.: No. 1 seed Ohio State is getting an early test from Texas-San Antonio. The Roadrunners lead 9-7 with 15:19 left in the first half.
5:15 p.m.: Lamont Jones drilled two free throws with 7.4 seconds left to put Arizona up 77-74. The Wildcats then fouled to deny Memphis a three-pointer to tie the game. After Joe Jackson made the first shot, he intentionally missed the second. Wesley Witherspoon got the offensive rebound, but Derrick Williams blocked Witherspoon's shot to secure a 77-75 win for Arizona.
5:12 p.m.: Memphis still has hope. Joe Jackson hits two free throws, then a steal and basket cuts Arizona's lead to 75-74 with 12.8 seconds left.
5:09 p.m.: Arizona's Jamelle Horne hits two free throws after barely surviving the Memphis pressure. Wildcats up 75-70 with 24 seconds left.
5:05 p.m.: Arizona clinging to a 73-30 lead with 38.8 seconds left after a bucket by Memphis. Wildcats have the ball and will need to keep possession and make free throws. Tigers want a steal.
5:03 p.m.: Kyrie Irving has his first field goal on a driving layup. Irving showed nice explosion on the play so his toe seems fine. Duke leads 73-39.
4:58 p.m.: Derrick Wiliams is carrying Arizona as he has in most games. The Wildcats forward's three-pointer puts his team ahead of Memphis 68-65. A little less than four minutes left.
4:54 p.m.: Only drama in the Duke game is whether Kyrie Irving will make a field goal. The freshman is 0-for-3 from the field in his return to action. Devils lead Hampton 67-38 with 7:44 left.
4:50 p.m.: Texas A&M has finally shown some signs of life in Chicago. Aggies have tied up Florida State at 12 with 7:35 left in the first half. Some good news for the Seminoles. Chris Singleton has checked into the game after missing a month with a broken foot.
4:46 p.m.: A nice run by Memphis has the Tigers out front of Arizona 65-61 with 7:09 left. Memphis is 6-0f-12 from three, while the Wildcats are 3-of-15.
4:41 p.m.: Points still at a premium in Chicago. Ten minutes into the game, Florida State leads Texas A&M 12-5. Aggies are 2-of-9 from the field and have five turnovers.
4:38 p.m.: Catching up on other action after that wild finish in Cleveland. Duke is rolling against Hampton 55-25 after a 16-3 run to start the second half. Arizona leads Memphis 56-55 with 10:34 left.
4:36 p.m.: George Mason does it again! Corey Stokes missed a jumper in the final seconds, the Patriots rebounded and Mike Morrison dunked to ice a 61-57 defeat of Villanova.
4:34 p.m.: Luke Hancock drilled a three to put George Mason ahead 59-57. Villanova's attempt misses but a jump ball is called on the rebound. Wildcats have the possession arrow and have 9.1 seconds left to tie or win.
4:33 p.m.: Corey Fisher hit three free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt and Villanova goes ahead of George Mason 57-56 with 31.7 seconds left.
4:30 p.m.: George Mason takes the lead on a rebound dunk by Mike Morrison. That caps a 8-0 run to put the Patriots ahead 56-54 with 54.7 seconds left. Villanova has used its final timeout.
4:28 p.m.: No sign of offense in Chicago. Florida State leads Texas A&M 3-0 at the first media timeout. Seminoles 1-of-5 from the field. Aggies are 0-for-4.
4:26 p.m.: Antonio Pena missed a pair of free throws, and George Mason got the ball inside to Ryan Pearson, who was fouled on a made basket with 1:34 left. Pearson converts the three-point play, and Patriots now are tied with Villanova at 54.
4:23 p.m.: A clutch three-pointer in the corner by Isaiah Tate has pulled George Mason within 54-51 of Villanova. Just 1:54 left. Time for the Patriots to play good defense and get the ball back.
4:21 p.m.: Florida State and Texas A&M have tipped in Chicago. Winner gets to face Notre Dame.
4:17 p.m.: Arizona has some breathing room early in the second half after a 7-2 surge. Wildcats out front 48-40 after Derrick Williams has scored five points in the run.
4:14 p.m.: Timeout in Cleveland with 3:53 left. Villanova up 52-46 after a three by Corey Stokes. George Mason hurt by missing two front ends of a one-and-one in the last two minutes.
4:10 p.m.: George Mason and Villanova trading blows in a tight game with 5:31 left. Wildcats lead 49-46 after a clutch jumper by Corey Fisher, who leads all scorers with 15 points.
4:07 p.m.: A very successful first half for Duke. Blue Devils lead Hampton 39-22, while Kyrie Irving has gotten significant action to knock off some of the rust gained during his layoff. Nolan Smith and Mason Plumlee each have seven to lead a balanced scoring attack.
4:02 p.m.: Villanova with a little breathing room against George Mason. Wildcats up 47-42 with 9:01 left after a pair of free throws by Maalik Wayans.
3:59 p.m.: Kyrie Irving is on the board with two free throws. The Duke guard still waiting for his first field goal as the Blue Devils are rolling against Hampton 33-18 with under four minutes left in the first half.
3:56 p.m.: Arizona has gone to the half with a 41-38 edge on Memphis. The Tigers started fast, but the Wildcats responded behind 22 combined points from Derrick Williams and Lamont Jones.
3:54 p.m.: George Mason has pulled to within 41-40 of Villanova after seven consecutive points by Luke Hancock. About 12 minutes left in Cleveland. Looking like this will go down to the wire.
3:47 p.m.: Notre Dame finishes off Akron 69-56. Methodical victory for the Irish, who never got flustered when the Zips tried to make a run. On to the third round.
3:42 p.m.: It was rusty start for Kyrie Irving. In about five minutes of action, he charged and missed his only shot. Duke leads Hampton 22-12 halfway through the first half.
3:40 p.m.: Notre Dame looks like it will comfortably reach the third round. Irish up 65-53 on Akron with 1:37 remaining. Zips struggling from the field and three-point line.
3:37 p.m.: Arizona has closed within one of Memphis on Kyle Fogg layup. Tigers still ahead at 26-25, but they've lost the momentum from their strong start.
3:33 p.m: Kyrie Irving's first touch came in a fast break situation. The Duke guard tried to go through two Hampton defenders and was called for a charge. Devils lead 18-6.
3:30 p.m.: Coming out of the first media time out, Duke leads Hampton 13-4. Of bigger significance to the Blue Devils is the return of Kyrie Irving. The freshman guard has checked in with 15:19 left.
3:28 p.m.: Akron has gone ice cold for the second time in the game. The Zips last field goal came at 10:05 left in the half. Notre Dame has used that drought to extend its lead to 59-45 with 4:18 remaining.
3:23 p.m.: Memphis started fast and has maintained its lead on Arizona. Wesley Witherspoon has seven points off the bench for the Tigers, who lead 21-16 after 10 minutes.
3:20 p.m.: Coming out of a media timeout, Notre Dame holds a 55-45 advantage on Akron with 7:25 left. The Irish haven't put away the Zips, but the Zips haven't gotten close enough to put a lot of pressure on the Irish.
3:17 p.m.: Minutes way from tip in Charlotte. Duke will face Hampton, but most eyes will be on Kyrie Irving, who returns after 3 1/2 months off due to a toe injury.
3:12 p.m.: George Mason had a nice stretch in the final minutes of the first half before an Antonio Pena jumper gave Villanova a 35-29 edge after 20 minutes. Wildcats guards Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes have combined for 24 points.
3:11 p.m.: Notre Dame hasn't put away Akron as we head to 10 minutes left in Chicago. The Zips trailed by 12, but a 11-4 run has trimmed the Irish lead to 49-44.
3:05 p.m.: Make that 10 of 11 of the first points for Memphis after a three-point play by Antonio Barton. No. 5 seed Arizona trails 10-1.
3:03 p.m.: Memphis has seven of the first eight points in Tulsa. Three minutes into the game, it's the Tigers ahead of Arizona 7-1.
3:00 p.m.: Villanova continues its strong first half against George Mason. Malik Wayans scored five points in a 8-2 run to extend the Wildcats margin to 31-21 with 3:55 left in the first half.
2:58 p.m.: Akron still hasn't scored in the first five minutes of the second half, and Notre Dame has pushed its lead to 43-30.
2:53 p.m.: George Mason calls timeout with 5:55 left in the first half. Villanova out front of the Patriots 25-17. Akron asks for its own timeout in Chicago. Five quick points by Notre Dame in the second half have the Irish up 39-30.
2:47 p.m.: George Mason and Villanova are the only two teams in action right now. Wildcats still leading the Patriots. It's 23-17 with 7:45 left in the first half. Notre Dame and Akron about to start the second half.
2:44 p.m.: Michigan has finished off Tennessee 75-45. A listless second half for the Volunteers, who only trailed by four after the first 20 minutes. Zack Novak led five Wolverines in double figures with 14 points.
2:41 p.m.: A nice first 10 minutes for Villanova, which needed some early success. Corey Stokes has nine points on three three-pointers. Wildcats lead George Mason 21-15.
2:36 p.m.: There may be less than four minutes left in Bruce Pearl's tenure at Tennessee. Volunteers trail Michigan 70-40. Wolverines have four scorers in double figures and will cruise into the second round with a likely matchup against Duke.
2:33 p.m.: First half is over in Chicago. Notre Dame out front 34-30 on Akron. Irish started fast, but the Zips have gotten back into the game after trailing by as much as 11.
2:30 p.m.: Villanova being more aggressive that during its late-season win streak. A three-point play by Corey Fisher has Wildcats up 9-7 on George Mason with 14:24 left in the first half.
2:26 p.m.: Texas has advanced with a 85-81 defeat of Oakland. The Grizzlies battled throughout, but the inside game of the Longhorns was too much. Reserve guard J'Covan Brown led Texas with 21 points.
2:25 p.m.: Akron couldn't hit anything in the early going, but the Zips have started to catch fire. A triple by Alex Abreu pulls them within 34-30 of Notre Dame with 1:35 left in the first half.
2:23 p.m.: Michigan still holding a comfortable lead on Tennessee. Wolverines out front 59-40 with 9:23 left. Not much life in the Volunteers right now.
2:20 p.m.: George Mason and Villanova have started in Cleveland. Patriots looking to make another deep tournament run as they did in 2006. Wildcats looking to turn around a slump at the end of the year.
2:18 p.m.: After a questionable foul call on Oakland, Texas hit one of two free throws. Then a Grizzlies three-point attempt went in and out. Longhorns rebound, and hit two free throws. 83-75 in favor of Texas with under a minute left.
2:15 p.m.: Oakland is now within five of Texas after a three-pointer by Larry Wright. Still 1:21 left for the Grizzlies to try and rally.
2:12 p.m.: It looks like Mike Hamilton's comments about Bruce Pearl's job security have inspired Tennessee. Michigan extends its second half run to 19-2 after a series of three-pointers by Zack Novak. Wolverines now lead 52-31 with 13:40 left.
2:09 p.m.: Oakland is within single digits after a three-point play by Reggie Hamilton. Texas still is up 78-70 with 2:28 left.
2:07 p.m.: Michigan is on a 12-2 run at the start of the second half to extend its edge on Tennessee to 45-31 with 15:34 left. Tobias Harris has 19 points, but nobody else on the Vols has more than four points.
2:05 p.m.: Notre Dame is hot. Akron is cold. No surprise that the Irish are out front 21-10 about halfway through the first half. The Zips are 4-of-18 from the field. Notre Dame has four three-pointers.
2:01 p.m.: Texas still has comfortable margin on Oakland with 5:19 remaining. Led by Jordan Hamilton's 19 points, the Longhorns lead 76-63.
1:58 p.m.: Michigan has built upon is late momentum from the first half and extended their advantage on Tennessee to 40-31. Vols call timeout with 17:46 left after consecutive layups by Jordan Morgan.
1:55 p.m.: Two Notre Dame three-pointers are part of a 10-0 run by the Irish, who lead Akron 16-6. Zips are just 2-for-13 from the field with 12:57 left in the first half.
1:50 p.m.: First media timeout in Chicago. Akron and Notre Dame knotted at 6-6. Tim Abromaitis has all six points for the Irish.
1:48 p.m.: Under 10 minutes left in Tulsa. Oakland has pulled within 66-54 of Texas after being down 17 earlier in the half. Still a lot of work for the Grizzlies, who still cannot control the size of the Longhorns.
1:44 p.m.: Notre Dame and Akron have tipped in Chicago. The Irish got the first points on three foul shots by Tim Abromaitis. Darryl Roberts responded with a jumper and it is 3-2 early.
1:39 p.m.: Texas starting to assert itself with a run taking their lead to 63-46 on a Jai Lucas three-pointer. Oakland needs a response with just under 13 minutes left.
1:33 p.m.: A runner by Darius Morris at the buzzer gives Michigan a 33-29 margin after 20 minutes. Good first half for the Wolverines, especially with Tim Hardaway Jr. only contributing two points.
1:32 p.m.: Oakland and Texas going back-and-forth with the Longhorns up 53-44.
1:30 p.m.: Inside of two minutes left in the first half and Michigan is holding a 31-27 edge on Tennessee. About 10 minutes away from Notre Dame-Akron tip.
1:25 p.m.: Second half under way in Tulsa. Texas has first possession and a 46-38 lead.
1:22 p.m.: Michigan's mini-run became a full-fledged 10-0 run. Wolverines have scored 10 straight and lead Tennessee 27-23.
1:20 p.m.: Michigan responds with their own mini-run capped by a three from Matt Vogrich. Tennessee's lead trimmed to 23-22 with 5:23 left in first half.
1:14 p.m.:Tennessee eases ahead of Michigan 22-17 with 7:14 left in the first half as Tobias Harris scores seven points in a 9-4 run. Harris almost matching with Wolverines with 15 points.
1:07 p.m.: A little more than halfway through the first half between Tennessee and Michigan and it's tied at 13. Wolverines only 30% from the field and 1-of-7 from the three-point line. Also Tim Hardaway Jr. has two early fouls.
1:03 p.m.: Texas is shooting the lights out at 58.8% (20-of-34). But Oakland is hanging around with the Longhorns, who only lead 46-38 against the gritty Golden Grizzlies at half. Will be interesting what happens if Texas cools off.
12:56 p.m.: It took five minutes, but someone other than Tobias Harris has scored for Tennessee. Scotty Hopson's three puts the Vols up 11-9 with 14:15 left in the first half.
12:53 p.m.: Oakland has put together a quick 7-0 run which included by a long three from Travis Bader, who leads all scorers with 10 points. Texas leads 33-28 with 3:50 left in the first half.
12:49 p.m.: First media timeout in Charlotte with Tennessee leading Michigan 8-7 with 15:24 left in the first half. It's been the Tobias Harris show for the Vols. He has scored all eight points, while rest of team is 0-for-3.
12:45 p.m.: Texas pushes its lead to 29-19 with 7:55 left in the first half. J'Covan Brown has seven points off the bench to lead in the Longhorns. Grizzlies are hitting 50% from the field but are 2-of-5 from the free-thrown line and have four turnovers.
12:41 p.m.: Ball is in the air in Charlotte. Tennessee and Michigan, two schools with outstanding fight songs, battling for berth in third round that likely will mean a matchup against Duke.
12:38 p.m.: Hot shooting has Texas ahead 25-17 with 9:52 left in the first half. Longhorns are 10-of-16 (62.5% ) from the field after Cory Joseph hit a three-pointer.
12:31 p.m.: Texas has extended its lead to 19-13 with 11:49 left in the first half. It's been balanced scoring for the Longhorns, who have four players each with four points and J'Covan Brown with a three-pointer that came just before the media timeout.
12:27 p.m.: Interesting matchup in the second game to tip today between Tennessee and Michigan. Volunteers AD Mike Hamilton made some comments earlier this week that cast doubt on coach Bruce Pearl's future. A win against the Wolverines could help Pearl keep his job.
12:22 p.m.: Good back-and-forth action between Oakland and Texas. Longhorns are using their size to dominate the paint and lead 10-7 with 15:03 left in the first half.
12:17 p.m.: Texas guard Dogus Balbay gets the first two points of the game on a driving layup. Oakland misses a three on its first possession.
12:12: p.m.: About five minutes away from the start of Texas-Oakland. Don't be surprised if this is close throughout. The Longhorns lost three of their last five before making the Big 12 tournament final. The Grizzlies have won 18 of 19.
2011年2月24日星期四
AMEX Ended Lower amid Libya's Chaos
AMEX was captured in negative territory where all the major indexes posted worst one day drops of the year because of shooting political crisis in Libya, On the contrary the oil prices continued to amplify.
However market strategists are of opinion that the market is on a short-term pullback given by steady rise since late August, and the advancement in oil prices might be the catalyst to set off that retreat.
The overnight slide joint with anxiety about precariousness associated to surging geopolitical risk overseas stimulated U.S. participants to cut their stock holdings. Primarily, their attempts plunged stocks nearly 1%, but as has been the matter in prior sessions some entered in to endow with support and proffer up the dunk.
A February Consumer Confidence Index reading of 70.4, which surpassed the Briefing.com agreement of 67.0 to set a near three-year high, assisted the attempt.
AMEX COMPOSITE INDEX (AMEX: XAX) plunged -0.92% at 2,325.26 where on the whole is moving with the positive growth rate of +75.89% of five days change, +27.72% of five years change and +159.49% of ten years change.
Looking for the basic Market Movers, Avalon Rare Metals Inc. and Denison Mines Corp. were among the top volume leading stocks on AMEX.
Avalon Rare Metals Inc. (AMEX:AVL) traded with 3.06 million shares as compared to average volume of 2.14 million shares in last trading sessoin.
China generates nearly 97% of the global supply of the metals consumed in the manufacturing of numerous high-tech products like Blackberry, iPhone, aerospace components, wind turbines, and lasers. It proclaimed in December 2010 that it will reduce its export quota by almost 35% for the first half of 2011.
This opened chances for companies that were not in position to compete to fulfill the demands. Rare earth metals are dispursed all over the world: established reserves in China exist for almost 43% of the total, and the remaining best comprise of the Commonwealth of Independent States (19%), the United States (13%), and Australia (5%).
Avalon Rare Metals (AVL) focuses on raising the Nechalacho Deposit in Thor Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada. Preliminary production is plagued for 2015. Furthermore, the Company is not having any debt. Also significance noting is that since September through November 2010, revenues surged by over 300% in contrast to the same period in 2009 resulted in the last 6 months, AVL is up by 70%, and year-to-date has increased by over 20%.
Denison Mines Corp. (AMEX:DNN) has commenced a Bid Implementation contract with White Canyon Uranium Limited under which Denison Mines Corp. has approved to make a conquest offer to obtain 100% of the issued as well as outstanding shares of White Canyon (TSX VENTURE: WU) (ASX: WCU) at a price of AU$0.24 a share for a total contemplation of nearly AU$57 million or CDN$56.6 million. The bid reflects a premium of almost 20% to the closing price of White Canyon shares on the Australian Securities Exchange on February 18, 2011 (the last trading day in White Canyon shares previous to this declaration) and premiums of 23% and 51% to volume weighted average prices for White Canyon shares in the prior 30 and 90 trading days, respectively.
DNN traded with 7.53 million shares as compared to average volume of 3.10 million shares.
Highlighting the broader picture of Advances & Declines on AMEX give the view that it has total 699 issues out of which Advancing Issues remained 114, where 552 were Declining Issues and 33 were noted as Unchanged Issues.
Whereas the Total Volume included from the pre-market and regional exchanges was noted as 826.57 Million with up volume of 9%, down volume 90% and 1% unchanged volume.
NIVS IntelliMedia Technology Group, Inc (AMEX:NIV) witnessed as the top price% gainer with the splendid rise of +7.52% at $2.86 where on the whole is moving with the positive pace of +15.32% of five days change, +23.28% for quarter change and +26.55% of year to date change.
On the contrary, Midway Gold Corp. (AMEX:MDW) was noted as the top loser on AMEX with the sharp decline of -14.19% at $1.33. Midway Gold Corp. recommended that in association with its opening prospectus filed February 2, 2011, it has obtained remarks from the British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC) over the Company’s confession of technical as well as scientific information regarding its Midway, Pan and Gold Rock properties.
In last, B2B Internet HOLDRs (ETF) (NYSE:BHH) ($1.14, -4.20%) seems to be rising stock on AMEX traded with 1.04 million shares as compared to the average volume of 315,275 shares.
However market strategists are of opinion that the market is on a short-term pullback given by steady rise since late August, and the advancement in oil prices might be the catalyst to set off that retreat.
The overnight slide joint with anxiety about precariousness associated to surging geopolitical risk overseas stimulated U.S. participants to cut their stock holdings. Primarily, their attempts plunged stocks nearly 1%, but as has been the matter in prior sessions some entered in to endow with support and proffer up the dunk.
A February Consumer Confidence Index reading of 70.4, which surpassed the Briefing.com agreement of 67.0 to set a near three-year high, assisted the attempt.
AMEX COMPOSITE INDEX (AMEX: XAX) plunged -0.92% at 2,325.26 where on the whole is moving with the positive growth rate of +75.89% of five days change, +27.72% of five years change and +159.49% of ten years change.
Looking for the basic Market Movers, Avalon Rare Metals Inc. and Denison Mines Corp. were among the top volume leading stocks on AMEX.
Avalon Rare Metals Inc. (AMEX:AVL) traded with 3.06 million shares as compared to average volume of 2.14 million shares in last trading sessoin.
China generates nearly 97% of the global supply of the metals consumed in the manufacturing of numerous high-tech products like Blackberry, iPhone, aerospace components, wind turbines, and lasers. It proclaimed in December 2010 that it will reduce its export quota by almost 35% for the first half of 2011.
This opened chances for companies that were not in position to compete to fulfill the demands. Rare earth metals are dispursed all over the world: established reserves in China exist for almost 43% of the total, and the remaining best comprise of the Commonwealth of Independent States (19%), the United States (13%), and Australia (5%).
Avalon Rare Metals (AVL) focuses on raising the Nechalacho Deposit in Thor Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada. Preliminary production is plagued for 2015. Furthermore, the Company is not having any debt. Also significance noting is that since September through November 2010, revenues surged by over 300% in contrast to the same period in 2009 resulted in the last 6 months, AVL is up by 70%, and year-to-date has increased by over 20%.
Denison Mines Corp. (AMEX:DNN) has commenced a Bid Implementation contract with White Canyon Uranium Limited under which Denison Mines Corp. has approved to make a conquest offer to obtain 100% of the issued as well as outstanding shares of White Canyon (TSX VENTURE: WU) (ASX: WCU) at a price of AU$0.24 a share for a total contemplation of nearly AU$57 million or CDN$56.6 million. The bid reflects a premium of almost 20% to the closing price of White Canyon shares on the Australian Securities Exchange on February 18, 2011 (the last trading day in White Canyon shares previous to this declaration) and premiums of 23% and 51% to volume weighted average prices for White Canyon shares in the prior 30 and 90 trading days, respectively.
DNN traded with 7.53 million shares as compared to average volume of 3.10 million shares.
Highlighting the broader picture of Advances & Declines on AMEX give the view that it has total 699 issues out of which Advancing Issues remained 114, where 552 were Declining Issues and 33 were noted as Unchanged Issues.
Whereas the Total Volume included from the pre-market and regional exchanges was noted as 826.57 Million with up volume of 9%, down volume 90% and 1% unchanged volume.
NIVS IntelliMedia Technology Group, Inc (AMEX:NIV) witnessed as the top price% gainer with the splendid rise of +7.52% at $2.86 where on the whole is moving with the positive pace of +15.32% of five days change, +23.28% for quarter change and +26.55% of year to date change.
On the contrary, Midway Gold Corp. (AMEX:MDW) was noted as the top loser on AMEX with the sharp decline of -14.19% at $1.33. Midway Gold Corp. recommended that in association with its opening prospectus filed February 2, 2011, it has obtained remarks from the British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC) over the Company’s confession of technical as well as scientific information regarding its Midway, Pan and Gold Rock properties.
In last, B2B Internet HOLDRs (ETF) (NYSE:BHH) ($1.14, -4.20%) seems to be rising stock on AMEX traded with 1.04 million shares as compared to the average volume of 315,275 shares.
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