No. 1 Seeds Advance: Memphis Barely Wins, but North Carolina Romps

Freshman Derrick Rose scoops in two of his 17 points. (AP Images)

All the Memphis Tigers want to know is why they don’t get any respect. Watch this tape, boys, you’ll figure it out. Or, watch what North Carolina did to see why you’re not considered in the same league.

John Calipari’s team of prima donnas nearly went down in flames on Sunday while Roy Williams’ squad dominated again. Memphis, the top team in the South Region, had all it could handle from No. 9 Mississippi State, escaping with a 77-74 win in Little Rock, Ark.

Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts both scored 17 points and Joey Dorsey notched a double-double (13 points, 12 boards) to lift Memphis into the Sweet 16 for the third year in a row.

Favored by 9.5 against the point spread, the Tigers had to scramble for everything they got down the stretch. The Bulldogs got 21 points from Jamont Gordon and 19 from pesky Ben Hansbrough. A late three-point attempt to tie the game fell short, though, and Memphis advanced to face Michigan State in Houston on Friday.

The Tigers are 35-1 and although they’re a No. 1 seed, they’re not given the same chances to win it all as North Carolina, Kansas and UCLA.

For their part, the Tar Heels look very much like the top team in the country. They crushed No. 9 Arkansas 108-77 in an East Region second-round game in Raleigh, N.C. Wayne Ellington had 20 points, Ty Lawson had 19 points, Tyler Hansbrough had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Deon Thompson had 15 points for the Heels.

North Carolina covered the 10-point spread and will next play No. 4 Washington State on Thursday in Charlotte.

In another East Region game on Sunday:

No. 3 Louisville 78, No. 6 Oklahoma 48: The Cardinals shot a gaudy 59 percent from the floor as they destroyed the Sooners in Birmingham, Ala. Earl Clark had 14 points and Jerry Smith added 12 points as Louisville had no trouble covering the seven-point spread. Rick Pitino’s squad looks like it will be a tough test for No. 2 Tennessee in the Sweet 16.

Get complete NCAA men's basketball tournament second round results and updated NCAA college basketball lines in the Bodog Sportsbook.