Most people out there will never know that there even was a Patriot League Men's Basketball Tournament in 2008. For those who enjoy college basketball and for those who love the 'purity' of 'college athletics', this is a shame. Because a bunch of smart kids who just happen to play basketball put on an amazing display of competitiveness last night. The first round of the Patriot League Champtionship was outstanding, and I'm not letting you go forward in life without hearing about it. Check out the following scores of ALL four games:
- #1 American 62 - #8 Holy Cross 60 - This was supposed to be the "gimmie" match-up. You gotta give Holy Cross a lot of credit here, they didn't want to let go of last year's League Championship that easily. The great thing about a league like this is that there really isn't a huge recruiting edge, so top-to-bottom, there isn't much of a difference. Pure competition at it's finest.
- #7 Bucknell 87 - #2 Navy 86 (3 ot) - Read that again...Bucknell 87 - Navy 86 in THREE overtimes!!! Bucknell won on a last second 40-foot bank shot! You have to be kidding me! I don't even care if my projected Patriot League Champion was upset in the first round. Yes, this ruined my Patriot League bracket, but it epitomized why Conference Tournaments are so much fun and so very exciting. It's one and done. Many seasons and college careers come to an end during Conference Tournaments, some on 40-foot bank shots in triple overtime. Outstanding.
- #3 Colgate 76 - #6 Lafayette 74 - Again, two teams that were pretty much the same and very evenly matched going into the tournament (Colgate 16-13, 7-7 & Lafayette 15-14, 6-8). Another two-point game in the Patriot.
- #5 Army 64 - #4 Lehigh 61 (ot) - This was the "blowout" game in the first round of the Patriot League. The three point Army win was the biggest point differential of any of the first round games. The most one-sided win of the day and it went to overtime! Three points, one possession, and the biggest win by any team on this day.
All four games were decided by three points or fewer. Two games went to overtime. One game went to triple overtime. My pick to win the league is out. The #2 & #4 seeds are gone. A 40-foot bank shot as time expired was involved. What a great day of basketball. Thank you Patriot League. The semifinals should be outstanding.
