Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
Every March, one or two players catapult out of obscurity due to their transcendent performances on the big stage. Think Bryce Drew or Stephen Curry.
After a half-day chock full of upsets, overtimes and even a buzzer beater, we already have plenty of candidates for 2010. But one of the day's few non-nail-biters may have given us the player most likely to capture our imagination: St. Mary's Omar Samhan.
The burly 6'11'' Samhan dominated Richmond, at one point accounting for 17 of St. Mary's first 22 points. Displaying a deft touch around the rim and an assortment of staggeringly quick spin moves for a man of his size, Samhan seemingly scored at will, eventually wearing down the Spiders' front line. With undersized Villanova (who struggled dispatching 15-seed Robert Morris) up next, it's a good bet Samhan and the Gaels will be booking a trip to the tournament's second weekend.
With a name like Samhan, it was really only a matter of time before people started making "Sandman" jokes. Thankfully, Verne Lundquist didn't miss an opportunity to do so, even playing this classic several times during the telecast. And yes, some headlines write themselves.
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