As bracketology experts begin the painstaking process of calculating the positions for the 2013 NCAA Basketball Tournament, Kansas, Gonzaga, Indiana and Miami fans can rest easy knowing that they’ll be seeing some March Madness action. All four schools are predicted to enter the tournament as No. 1 seeds, and if each team continues its incredible run, they’ll most likely be a part of the Final Four pandemonium. But what would the tournament be without some upsets? Here is a list of five teams that have the momentum to shake up the top ranks of college basketball.
Timbers season underway
The Portland Timbers launched into the 2013 MLS season with a dramatic season opener against the Eastern Conference’s New York Red Bulls. The matchup took place at a sold-out Jeld-Wen Field and was broadcast nationally on ESPN2. The Timbers have made quite a few changes this year. They are led by a new head coach, Caleb Porter, and have begun employing a new offensive system. Portland enjoyed some success in the preseason, going 3-2-2.
Softball struggles in Tucson
The Portland State women’s softball team went to Arizona over the weekend, and once again came away with mixed results. An 11-3 rout of the University of California, Riverside was the only bright spot during the three-day event, which included back-to-back losses to the nationally ranked University of Arizona. In the other two games, the Vikings were shut out 1-0 in the first matchup with UC Riverside and lost 8-3 to Boston University in the second game of the day’s doubleheader.
Men’s tennis rebounds with a win
The Portland State men’s tennis team took to the courts on Friday for a clash with their crosstown rivals, the University of Portland Pilots. The match started out well for the Vikings, as Antoine Bechmann and Ian Risenhoover squared off against the duo of Jackson Martin and Michel Hu Kwo and caught the Pilots’ 57th nationally ranked doubles team flat-footed as they notched an 8-6 victory.
Basement Notes: Putting Green Preservation Society
Perhaps you’ve seen it on your local course—a weekend golfer using the chin or navel to anchor an extra-long putter on the green. Maybe you’ve only ever seen them on television, where 15 of the 94 official PGA Tour events over the past two years (including three of the past five majors) have been won by linksmen employing the technique. From the suburbs to the pros, the practice has been steadily integrated into the game over the past three decades. And it appears that the United States Golf Association and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews in Scotland have finally had enough.
Upcoming Games
THURSDAY, MARCH 7 Women’s Basketball Vikings vs. Weber State Peter Stott Center, 7:30 p.m. Men’s Basketball Vikings @ Weber State Dee Events Center, 6 p.m. FRIDAY, MARCH 8 Softball Pepsi…
Clackamas whitewater rafting
Coming up on March 16, the Outdoor Program is hosting a whitewater rafting trip on the Clackamas River, one of the most highly anticipated outings of the season at Portland State.
No luck at the Stott Center
After losing on Thursday to the University of North Dakota, the Vikings had to win their final three games to stay alive in the race for one of the seven playoff spots in the Big Sky Conference. But a second-half run by the University of Northern Colorado on Saturday effectively ended those aspirations, as the Bears claimed an 85-75 victory on Senior Day at the Stott Center.
Hawks fall to Everett
The Portland Winterhawks are clearly the Western Hockey League’s best team—most nights. The Hawks were dumbstruck Saturday night as they fell 4-2 to the Everett Silvertips on the road. After a five-game winning streak, Portland has lost three in a row, stifling the momentum they would have liked to carry into the postseason. The loss to Everett was undoubtedly the most improbable during that streak.
Blazers roll past Timberwolves
The Portland Trail Blazers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves handily on Saturday night, notching an emphatic 109-94 win over their Northwest Division rivals. Damian Lillard scored 24 points to lead the team, while J.J. Hickson contributed another double-double with 18 points and 16 rebounds.
Women’s basketball toppled by Northern Colorado
Going into the game against the University of Northern Colorado on Saturday, a lot of things had to go right for the women’s basketball team to make it into the Big Sky tournament. Along with a win against the Bears, the Vikings would have needed multiple upsets within the conference in order to have a shot of snatching the final playoff spot. Portland State stayed with Northern Colorado for a good portion of the first half, but the team clearly felt the loss of injured forward Angela Misa on the defensive end as the Bears cruised to a 63-48 win.