Bringing Together Davidson & Holy Cross

From Bill Simmons' mailbag this past week, a question and (sort of) answer that draws a correlation between Davidson & Holy Cross. Phil and Chaz, this blog and this NCAA Tournament has come full-circle.

Q: So, Davidson is a small liberal arts school with an excellent academic reputation that just made the Elite Eight? Oh and they have free laundry, and their trustees paid for everyone to go to the tournament games? Holy Cross has no excuse now, the precedent has been set. We need to get it together. -- Jon, Worcester, Mass.

• Simmons: Don't get me started. Hey, I'm glad you brought up Davidson. More than a few readers asked why I haven't been writing about college basketball as much this year. Here's the answer: As long as the NBA is running on all cylinders -- and really, it hasn't happened in 15 years -- I don't see why anyone would watch college over pro unless they had a favorite college team (which I don't, thanks to Holy Cross fading into obscurity). Of all the guys we watched in the tournament this year, maybe eight of them could step into an NBA rotation right away, and only two of them (Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley) could start for a decent team. Personally, I'd rather watch basketball played passionately at the highest possible level; the NBA hasn't been this good since the watershed 1992-93 season and the competitiveness of its games has just been absolutely remarkable. I remember the days when maybe 10 regular-season games per year would stand out; now we're getting four or five a week, and that's not even an exaggeration.
  With that said ...
  Nothing in sports can match what happened Friday and Sunday: An underdog school (Davidson) with a Jimmy Chitwood-type hero (Stephen Curry) toppling one high seed and coming within one possession of making the Final Four, and if that's not enough, Gus Johnson was announcing both games and ready to have an on-air seizure if Davidson had scored on the final play to beat Kansas. Of all the sports (college or pro), March Madness is the only time when you can hop on a bandwagon and not feel guilty about it -- whether it's Belmont trying to topple Duke, Davidson trying to make the Final Four, or whatever -- and it's the only time when an athlete can completely alter his destiny in the span of 10 days. For example, Curry wasn't even considered a first-round pick before the tournament started; now he'd probably crack the top-15 if he came out (which he won't), and if that's not enough, we'll always remember him as the kid with the gorgeous jumper who did the Chitwood impression.
  Anyway, I'm not down on college hoops this year -- the Davidson run was incredible theater, and we're headed for one of the greatest Final Fours of my lifetime. Just know that, overall, the NBA product was markedly better as a whole this season unless you had a college team you loved.

1020 & 8101

Davidson: Cherishing Learning & Wearing Top Hats

With an outstanding education comes a suave confidence that the ladies cannot deny. Annie...I now know why you married Phil. Go Wildcats!!!

1020 & 8101

Davidson Wins! Davidson Wins!

It's really late and I don't believe that I can give the Davidson victory the justice it deserves right now. So for the time being, I will defer to people that actually write about college basketball for a living to praise the Wildcats. Enjoy it Phil & Annie. I might just have to make a completely random trip to Notre Dame to watch the Kansas game with you.

• Charlotte Observer lead story about the Davidson victory over Wisconsin.
• "Since this is March, Davidson is the best story in U.S. sports. The best story just got better." (I know I already linked to this, but read it again)
• Charlotte Observer news & notes on the game - Stephen Curry tied the NCAA record for three-pointers in a season with 158.
• "Nobody's talking about politics at all this week; it's all about Davidson basketball"
• Davidson student's road trip.
• What kind of college is Davidson?
• Davidson College quiz
• Shedding the slipper, Davidson is no Cinderella
• ESPN's Pat Forde on Davidson's win
• ESPN's coverage of Davidson's triumph over Wisconsin
• Oh Canada, Davidson's Canadian presence
• Detroit Free Press on the Davidson win
• Detroit Free Press: How David(son) slayed Goliath
• Bob McKillop Provides Davidson's Inspiration
• CBS sports on Stephen Curry's unreal performance
• Highlights from the Wisconsin game
• Kansas is scared! Curry is a threat!

Davidson vs. Wisconsin Highlights

Davidson vs. Wisconsin Postgame

1020 & 8101

Predictions For Friday's Sweet Sixteen Games

I picked 3 out of 4 games correctly on Thursday (only missing the Xavier overtime win over West Virginia). Now it's time to do one better and go a perfect 4 of 4 on Friday.

Davidson over Wisconsin

Reasons:

• Has any other team in recent NCAA tournament memory been more of a media darling than this Davidson team? Screw George Mason...what they did was unexpected, but nobody out there, just two years later, can name a single player from that team. Davidson has a superstar and, for whatever reasons, are extremely likable. Maybe that's what happens when a team actually has student-athletes. Plus...the University of Davidson is covering the hotel, bus fare, and tickets for all students who want to road trip to Detroit for Friday's game against Wisconsin. I ask again...has there been a more endearing team in recent NCAA tournament history than Davidson? I think not. This story NEEDS to continue.
• Wisconsin is a pretty good (and boring) team. The problem with the Badgers and Bo Ryan's system is that they are never too far ahead in a game, and they're never too far behind. All that needs to happen for a Davidson upset to happen is for Wisconsin to let the Wildcats stick around, gain confidence, and let the Cinderella wave carry them through.
• Nobody outside of Packer (that's Green Bay, not Billy) country is excited about seeing Wisconsin in the Elite Eight. (actually...Billy Packer hates mid-majors, so he's probably rooting for Wisconsin to move on as well)
• Davidson has the hottest player in the tournament so far wearing their uniform. So that's a good thing. By the way...did you know that Stephen Curry is (former NBA player) Dell Curry's son?
• I want Davidson to win. Good enough reason? Phil and Annie will be rooting for Davidson tonight, and so will I. As I told Phil a few days ago, I'm officially on the Davidson bandwagon. They are my adopted team for as long as they last in this tournament. Go Cats! (Plus...Gus Johnson is calling this game. That's a good omen.)
• Confidence in this pick: 7.5

Stanford over Texas

Reasons:

• I have this sneaky feeling that we're not quite done seeing and hearing about the Lopez twins just quite yet.
• I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't trust Rick Barnes in an important game at all. I'm sorry for any Texas fans out there, you have a very talented team, but I don't have any confidence in your head coach.
• A Stanford vs. UCLA contest in the Final Four would be outstanding. (It would be their 4th meeting this season) Plus, I think Trent Johnson wants to see if the refs would have the guts to give him a double technical in a Final Four game. He's quoted as saying, "Why should my approach change?" So he's obviously saying that Stanford has won every game this tournament that he has been eject from, so why would he mess with success? If the refs actually DID throw him out of a Final Four game, this would prove, without a doubt, all of the conspiracy theories out there about UCLA getting every favorable call (and non-call). We shall call this the 'John Wooden Rule'.
• Texas point guard D.J. Augustin is outstanding. But I'm on-board the Mitch Johnson bandwagon right now and if Johnson could handle the pressure and play of Marquette's guards, I'm thinking he can hold his own against Augustin.
• I've railed against Stanford all season (blog) long. And now they're going to prove me wrong. I can just feel it.
• Confidence in this pick: 6.3

Kansas over Villanova

Reasons:

• Kansas simply has too much talent with Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur, Mario Chalmers, and company. The Jayhawks are probably the most athletic and most talented team in this NCAA Tournament. (My apologies to Cornell...you're good too.) (sorry Matt)
• Can a fashionable coach win the NCAA Tournament? I'm not so sure. When was the last time that happened? Jay Wright's greatest strength may turn out to be his greatest weakness. Stay tuned. (sorry Matt)
• If Bill Self can reach the Elite Eight with this Kansas team, I may finally stop giving him a hard time about being a choke artist in the NCAA Tournament. He's good at not being good in March. So I believe that to avoid further ridicule from me, Self and his Kansas squad will be properly motivated to win this game. (sorry Matt)
• The Jayhawks have depth and experience that Villanova cannot come close to matching. Unless Kerry Kittles still has some eligibility left at 'Nova, then they might have a shot. (sorry Matt)
• I picked Kansas to win it all in Tim's pool. So what am I supposed to do here? Have them losing to a #12 seed in the Sweet Sixteen? I think not. (sorry Matt)
• Confidence in this pick: 9.4

Memphis over Michigan State

Reasons:

• I thought about this one for awhile, because I really want to go with Michigan State. You might ask, "Why not just pick Michigan State here? This is a stupid blog that 6 people are reading. So who really cares?" Now that's a very good point and it's well taken. But more than anything, I want to get my pick right. So I'm going with the team that I think will win the game, it's as simple as that. If Michigan State wins, it would make Pitt's loss look much better. I just don't think it's going to happen.
• One reason I don't think it's going to happen - Michigan State is from the Big Ten. Michigan State scored 36 points in a loss to Iowa earlier this year. I cannot pick Michigan State with this kind of information bouncing around in my head.
• What's that John S.? Memphis coach John Calipari is from Western PA and attended the prestigious Clarion University? If that's the case, then I MUST pick Memphis in this game.
• If Memphis loses by 5 points or less, and missed free throws were involved, then we're going to have to hear Calipari defend his team and defend their free throw shooting for another 12 months and I can't deal with that anymore. So my pick here is partially reflecting my prayer that this doesn't happen.
• Memphis is a darn good team. I don't know how many rounds they have to get through before the nation starts to realize this. It's going to take more than Tom Izzo and Michigan State to bring down the Tigers. Speaking of which...remember when Memphis used to be Memphis State and had Anfernee (later to be known as Penny) Hardaway on their team?
• Confidence in this pick: 8.2

1020 & 8101

Thoughts & Feelings On The Tourney's Opening Weekend

After a rather dull Thursday, the NCAA Tournament did what it does best over the next three days...providing entertainment, excitement, frustration, and disappointment. I was entertained by Bill Raftery and Gus Johnson, excited about Davidson's outstanding performance, frustrated by my brackets, and disappointed about an early end to Pitt's season. Since bullet-points are a crutch used by people who cannot compose paragraphs or organize their thoughts well...here are some thoughts and feelings about the Tourney's opening weekend, in bullet-point form:

• I refused to jump on the Davidson bandwagon before the tournament began, because I believed that wagon was already full after their performance in the tournament last year. In hindsight, I completely over thought this issue. Just because Davidson and Stephen Curry (son of Dell Curry, if you didn't know) were on my radar all season long did not mean that they were on anyone else's radar. Unfortunately, I avoided choosing Davidson as one of my Bracket Busters because in my mind, they were already America's darling team and a sexy first-round upset pick. I will pat myself on the back and point out that I was already on the Davidson train way back in this blog's second post. Coach Bob McKillop deserves some huge props, it's one thing to come up with a game-plan to beat Elon (a notable seed), it's a completely different thing to come up with a game-plan to beat Gonzaga and Georgetown. Well done Bob. Stephen Curry is hands-down the most outstanding player of this tournament so far. On this sport's biggest stage, he has thrived when it mattered most. Curry scored 30 of his 40 points against Gonzaga in the second half, and followed that by scoring 25 of his 30 points against Georgetown in the second half. That's just sick! When was the last time anybody put up 25 against the Hoyas in a half?!? Credit also needs to be given to Jason Richards, Davidson's point guard, who played all 40 minutes against Georgetown, scored 20 points, and had 5 assists with only one turnover against the Hoyas' pressure defense. My friend Phil went to Davidson and is the only reason I knew about this program prior to last season. I told him Sunday night that I've officially hopped aboard the Davidson bandwagon and he gladly welcomed me. There is no reason that this Davidson team cannot beat Wisconsin on Friday. With the lights-out shooting of Stephen Curry and the outstanding point guard play of Jason Richards, anything is possible...if not downright probable.
• I'm becoming more and more obsessed with point-guard play, as I truly believe a college team's success is directly related to the quality of the man that's distributing the ball. With that in mind...the following stat astounded me: Stanford's point guard, Mitch Johnson, had 16 assists and only 1 turnover while playing 44 minutes in the Cardinal's overtime victory against Marquette. He played all but one minute of the game and only had one turnover against the athletic guards of Marquette. I'm in awe of that line. Point guards never get enough of the credit, even though they are the most crucial element to how a team performs and functions. Oh...I forgot to mention that Johnson ran this team to near perfection and kept them composed after head coach, Trent Johnson, was ejected from the game. Perhaps the most unsung performance of the first round. Outstanding game Mitch.
• The fact that four double-digit seeds all won games at the same site (Tampa Bay) seems like a complete statistical anomaly to me. Tim Brando and Mike Gminski had a blast calling those games and everyone in attendance got their money's worth. I was sad to see Drake (the pride of Des Moines, Iowa) get bounced, but their overtime, last second loss to Western Kentucky may go down as the best game of this tournament. #12 Villanova and #12 Western Kentucky move on to the Sweet Sixteen. Thank you Tampa Bay.
• Villanova coach Jay Wright did look quite dapper during the Wildcat's upset victory over #5 Clemson, but how the heck did he not get charged with a technical foul near the end of that game? *(I need to make a correction here - Jay Wright was assessed a technical foul with 2:59 left in the Clemson game. What I meant to question here was that he was not given a 2nd technical foul and ejected from the game. Please see my comment below)* He was out of control and showing up the refs. The officiating needs to be more consistent across the board during the NCAA Tournament. Mild-mannered Stanford coach, Trent Johnson, gets thrown out of a game and Wright doesn't even get one technical? I saw palming get called at least 4 times over the weekend after not seeing it called all season. Various Pitt players were getting mauled at the end of the Michigan State game and not getting whistles after the game had been called tight up to that point. And everyone knows by now that UCLA's Josh Shipp assaulted Texas A&M's Donald Sloan on the potential game-tying basket. All we're asking for is a little consistency. None of this, 'we're putting the whistles away for the final 3 minutes of the game', bullcrap. And don't call palming out of the blue just to make a point. The games should be called the same in November as they are in March.
• After going 7-1 in the first round...the Big East slid a bit and is a combined 10-5 going into the Sweet Sixteen with only 3 teams remaining (Louisville, West Virginia, & Villanova). That's not too bad, but when you figure that the Big Ten has 2 teams in the Sweet Sixteen, 3 doesn't seem like enough. The fact that West Virginia and Villanova made the Sweet Sixteen, I believe says plenty about the depth and overall quality of the Big East.
• I'm terrified that Bill Self (Kansas) and Rick Barnes (Texas) are safely into the Sweet Sixteen and actually appear to be doing a decent job. Is this an omen? Should I sell all my investments now? Is this merely a tease, setting up greater disappointment and heartbreak later? Can these men actually coach and use occasional common sense? Stay Tuned...

1020 & 8101

Thank You Loyal Readers: I'm Back

The first weekend of the NCAA Tournament is over, and for a brief moment (hardly a shining one), I thought this blog was over too. There is more to life than March Madness. And while I knew this fact before I began the ambitious endeavour buzzing on the screen in front of you, the project (as well as myself) felt as if it had run it's course. This was meant to be an entertaining creative outlet for myself, as well as a distraction.....and after a little more than a month, that's exactly what this feels like, a distraction. My brackets are horrendous, I'm exhausted, and I'm burnt out.

However...there is something to be said for completing what one starts...and for following through on a commitment that one has made. This blog is not going to "make" my life, and it's not going to change the bigger things taking place in and around my universe. But the parallels between this project and my current world are oftentimes scary. If I cannot demonstrate the simplest forms of commitment, character, and resolve with this blog...how could I possibly expect the same from myself with regard to the actual, moment-to-moment existence that is my life? There is nothing noble in running. There is nothing honorable in simply giving up. When our heart and our gut lead us somewhere, there was probably a damn good reason as to why we ended up at that "somewhere" in the first place. Being frustrated, confused, and exhausted should never be permitted to triumph over one's initial desires and ambitions. There is something to being honest. There is something to staying true. There is something to never giving up. There is something to making a commitment. There is something in following through. And there is something to being there for the people that were there for you all along.

It is for these (and many other) reasons that I am going to push forward, continue with, and finish this blog. Thank you my friends and loyal readers. For the random hits this blog has received from places like Honolulu, Berkeley CA, and Arizona, I thank you. For the devoted readers I've had for awhile but didn't even realize, like Brian in Notre Dame and the person who keeps checking out this blog from Oak Park, I thank you. And a very HUGE and heart-felt thanks to all of the loyal friends who have contributed to this blog, shared comments, and have been reading since the beginning: Annie, Phil, Chaz, Liz, Matt G., John S., and Senator Nate...I thank you.

I'm back. We're down to 16 teams. 15 games left to be played. Let's rock and roll!

Mr. Raftery, do you have anything to say in closing?

Bill: "This blog is going to be followed through to completion.....with ALACRITY!!!"

Thank you Bill Raftery, thank you.

1020 & 8101

Dapper Coaches! - We Had This Theory First!!!

Matt and Phil! Check out this column that breaks down the Tournament based on the appearance and fashion sense of the various coaches. Absolutely creepy. I knew we were on to something here. The whole "Best-Dressed Coach" thing really needs to be turned into a column on this blog now. And I have to eat some crow here because I hated on Jay Wright. I've done a little research and fully admit my mistake. This article has Jay Wright and Villanova defeating Bob Huggins and West Virginia in the National Championship. This creates an interesting dilemma Matt as we basically all agree that those two coaches are on different planets with regard to appearance and fashion sense. This blog just gets better every day.

Selection Show Running Diary

Selection Sunday is finally here! Today's events will set into motion all of the games, upsets, and gambling ramifications which will take place over the next three weeks. The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee has been sequestered in Indianapolis all week debating the merits of various at-large teams while doing copious amounts of cocaine. With Pitt winning the Big East Tournament for the first time in five years, and keeping with my theme of "Conquering The 2008 NCAA Tournament"...I just had to keep a running diary of what took place during the Selection Show. I'm hoping the CBS studio team will provide a lot of unintentional comedy, not to mention the fact that they will give about 35 teams "a chance" after seeing the brackets.

6:00 pm - CBS throws out a studio team of Greg Gumbel, Clark Kellogg, and Seth Davis. I actually don't mind Seth Davis. But I'm counting the minutes until Kellogg says something outlandish that will be proven wrong 10 minutes into the games on Thursday.

6:01 pm - UNC is the overall number one seed, the 12th time they have been a #1seed, and the Tar Heels are headed to the East Region.

6:02 pm - Gumbel is sporting some kind of purplish handkerchief in his suit coat pocket...nicely done.

6:03 pm -Memphis is the #1 in the South, UCLA #1 in the West, and Kansas #1 in the Midwest (I really like this Kansas team, although Bill Self still scares me).

6:03 pm - Seth Davis has some kind of subtle checkered patterned suit on. The CBS studio team is donning some classy threads.

6:04 pm - Jim Nanz and Billy Packer make their first appearance! Nantz looks worried that he's going to have to spend the next 3 weeks with this crabby older gentleman sitting to his right. Jim's pre-game preparations include fake smiling and fake laughing.

6:09 pm - East region is slowly announced. The play in game is Mt. st. Mary's and Coppin State. What a crucial game to the tournament! Gotta love the annual play-in game on Tuesday in Dayton Ohio. I need to write a column on that game. Indiana fell to an 8 seed? Hard times for the Hoosiers. Notre Name as a 5 seed against this years George Mason...George Mason!!! Say it isn't so Phil, Annie, Chaz, and Johnny! Butler is the 10th ranked team in the country and they get a 7 seed? Curious. If Louisville is getting a 3 seed...Pitt better fucking get a 3 or a 4 seed. That is if conference tournaments mean anything to the Selection Committee. Kellogg says that Indiana has been playing well lately...what team has he been watching?!?!? Their women's softball team? Davis has much better insight...noting that Tennessee was perhaps a better 2 seed than to be placed in the same region as UNC, and that South Alabama not only got a 10 seed...but gets to play a de facto home game at Birmingham against Butler in the first round. Seems like a really good draw for the Tar Heels.

6:17 pm -Midwest region is slowly announced. Did i call UNLV getting an 8 seed or what? NO!!!!!!!!! Two of my bracket busters are paired against each other in the first round (#8 UNLV vs. #9 Kent State)!!! Fuck!!!! Everything is going to hell! I guess one of them has to win that game though, which means one of my picks will follow through with a victory. Villanova got an at large bid? As a 12 seed? That's it, i quit. This project is over. Georgetown is a 2 seed? Pitt beat them twice this season. Things keep looking good for Pitt's seeding. (I'm setting myself up here for the disappointment and anger of them getting a #6 seed) Nice...UMBC (my first Bracket Buster) gets the privilege of knocking off G-town.Gonzaga 7 vs. Davidson 10...sexy match-up. I like Clemson as a 5 and USC as a 6. This region presents a first-round match-up with two fantastic freshman squaring off with USC's OJ Mayo playing Michael Beasley and Kansas State. Davis just called Siena over Vandy in the first round! People need to hold him accountable for this! Kellogg just called Georgetown's draw "favorable", again...what the hell is he basing these statements on?

6:25 pm - South region is slowly announced. Yikes...Oregon not only got in, but they got a #9 seed? The PAC 10 is getting some mad love this year. But where is Arizona? Nice! Nice! Nice! Pitt gets a 4 seed! AND they get to play Oral Roberts in the first round!!! I get to write about Oral for another week! The bracket gods are truly shining on me! A 3 seed seems too low for Stanford, but I do like the clash of styles in their potential second round game against Marquette. Davis is calling out the Selection Committee for putting the Atlantic 10 champion, Temple, at a 12 seed and St. Joesph's at an 11 seed. He also just put Texas in the final four. Again, commentators need to be held accountable with these picks. This region is looking like the strongest of the bunch so far...with Memphis, Texas, Stanford, and Pitt. It's only been 3 minutes, but I'm liking Pitt's draw here with Oral Robers and a potential second round game against Michigan State or Temple. I'll take Pitt against a Big Ten team anytime. I was typing too much to notice if Kellogg said anything outrageous, I'm sure it happened, but I missed it. I'll make sure to catch whatever he says after they announce the West region.

6:33 pm - West region is slowly announced. You have to like UCLA here, right? Drake is a 5 seed, normally prone to an upset, but they are too good to lose to Western Kentucky. Gotta love Drake to make some noise. Not many slots left, I'm sensing some serious bubble issues coming soon. Arizona is in as a 10 seed. Love Xavier here as a 3 seed...but they are playing this year's team of destiny in the first round, the SEC Tournament Champs, Georgia Bulldogs! Baylor is in. They sure waited to the last second on that one. Great story there with Coach Scott Drew and company. Davis just called Drake to go to the sweet sixteen. Kellogg just said to "keep an eye on West Virginia", and Davis just kind of nodded his head. Seth Davis has to do something there in order to keep from falling asleep.

No Arizona State, no Ohio State, no VCU, no Syracuse, no Illinois state, no Virginia Tech, no UMASS, no UAB, no Dayton. Wow...Dayton had a RPI of 32. Arizona State was the school that was robbed the most here. Oh well. Should have won your respective conference tournaments.

6:39 pm - Back to Billy Packer!!! Bring on the controversy! "I think Davidson is George Mason", quotes Mr. Packer. (me - shaking my head in awe) You're about a year behind the Davidson bandwagon Billy. Thanks for coming along. Not to mention the fact that there is some scientific theory out there that can prove that Davidson cannot, indeed, be George Mason. Apparently Billy has some questions coming up (says Mr. Jim Nantz), so I'll be sure to stay tuned for that. I'm patiently waiting for Billy Packer to make a guarantee. Here is an article reviewing the Selection Show from two years ago. The best part is where Hiestand says, "There weren't many surprises left for CBS' actual selection show. Except, that is, when CBS' Billy Packer began analyzing a bracket that hadn't been announced yet." Classic. I love March Madness.

6:47 pm - Good god. Nantz and Packer interviewing Tom O'Connor, head of the Selection committee. Time for Packer to be Packer, or at least time for him to throw a punch. Packer to O'Connor, "The RPI is something we always kid about, and talk about". I'm glad to know that they are chums. Nothing like kissing the ass of power. Packer seems to be hung up on the ACC (#1 in Conference RPI) only getting 4 bids when the Big East got 8 teams. I don't see him letting this go throughout the tournament, even after 6 Big East teams reach the sweet sixteen as opposed to 1 ACC team. Packer to O'Connor, "We cross paths so many times throughout the course of the winter". Again...glad to know that Packer is chums with people high up on the Selection committee. Nothing too outlandish happening here...Packer didn't throw a player, coach, team, race, or gender under the bus.

6:55 pm - Kellogg goes out on a limb and predicts all #1 seeds to reach the final four. Seth Davis has more balls...going with Tennessee, Kansas, Texas and UCLA. Kellogg's sleepers...Notre Dame, Clemson, Michigan State, and West Virginia. Seth's sleepers...Saint Joesph's, USC Temple, Arizona. Davis picks Temple over Michigan State. And Davis just named UCLA as his national champion, Kellogg agrees with him, also taking the Bruins. I can't WAIT to hear some ridiculous predictions by Kellogg on Thursday.

Hey...Cold Case and Dexter are on CBS tonight! Maybe I'll stick around and keep a running diary of those shows. Maybe not.

Have fun filling out your brackets folks. Let's rock and roll.

Countdown To The Selection Show

There is so much to comment on before the brackets come out. I don't think I'm going to be able to cover everything I'd like, but I at least want to hit on a few things and give some hints as to what's coming in the very near future of this blog. (13 hours until the bracket is announced)

• Can enough even begin to be said about what the University of Georgia did on Saturday? Because of the intense storms in and around Atlanta, Georgia had to play TWO SEC Tournament games in a matter of 12 hours...and won them both!!! Both wins were big upsets and the first game went to overtime. They will now play in the Tournament final later today as the #e6 seed, with a shot to go to the NCAA Tournament. Absolutely crazy. I'm not eloquent enough to properly put this in perspective. Just chew on those facts for awhile and I'll try to find a link to an article that gives this story justice.
• If anyone wants to debate the merit/importance of the play-in game on Tuesday, I'd have some fun with that. Maybe I'll devote an entire 1,500 word column on that game alone. We'll see. It's probably going to be Mississippi Valley State against some other unfortunate team fighting it out for the right to play UNC in the first round.
• Please don't think that I'm forgetting that Pitt won the Big East Tournament last night. That spectacular story will be given the proper exposure as soon as I'm capable of doing just that. What a win. Go Panthers! Joe Lunardi (on ESPN's bracketology page) currently has Pitt as a #3 seed!
• I'll be keeping track of all the NCAA pools that I enter. This will take a day or two for me to sort out, but I'll come up with a system to stay on top of it. I may comment on other people's brackets in the pools I'm involved with, but I need to keep things manageable also. We'll see what I can get away with and what's fun.
• With the comments and help of Matt and Phil, I'd like to devote a column to the best (and possibly worst) dressed coaches in college basketball. If Annie or anyone else has anything to say about that, please feel free to share your thoughts in any comment section. Continute referring to the post that started this discussion to keep up on the debate.
• Bill Raftery will have his own column by the time the games tip-off on Thursday, I promise.
• I'm working on a way-too-ambitions column entitled, "The Rushmore Quote Guide To The 2008 NCAA Tournament", that I only hope and pray will be finished in time for the games on Thursday.
• Please read this story about Blake Hoffarber, who made the unreal shot that won the game for Minnesota over Indiana on Friday (You NEED to watch the video on the page too). Laettner-esque is correct. What he did three years ago in high school is even more sick. Great story. His shot is the reason I ran the above photo.

More On The Pitt Victory Over Louisville

I will now piggy-back a little off of Phil's running diary in an attempt to gloat more about the victorious Pittsburgh Panthers. This team loves playing at Madison Square Garden. Pitt is now 4-0 at MSG this season, including a quality win over Duke, and 21-8 dating back to the 2001-2001 season. Head coach Jamie Dixon may have put forth his bet season yet by leading this team as far and as well as he has. With the departure of Aaron Gray and Levon Kendall after last season, and the injuries to Mike Cook and Levance Fields this season, nothing much was expected of this Panthers squad. But Dixon has kept this team focused all season long and they appear to be playing their best basketball here in the Big East Tournament. I had the privilege of watching the game last night, and while I didn't keep a running diary like Phil, I have the following thoughts on Pitt's play so far in the tournament.

• Sam Young is outstanding. He has scored 21 points in each of the Panther's two tournament games. Young led Pitt with 12 rebounds last night against Louisville, 5 on the offensive glass. More importantly, he is becoming the leader of this team by (finally) playing some sound defense and hustling like I've never seen him before. His performance in this tournament, and over the entire season, has Panther fans hoping and praying that he'll come back for his senior year.
• Levance Fields is back running the point like we all hoped he would. Now granted, his shooting is still pretty bad (a combined 5-21 in the first two games of the tournament for a dismal 24%). But I'm not worried about him scoring, that is the job of Sam Young, Ronald Ramon, and DeJuan Blair. What jumps out at me about Fields is this - he has 12 assists and only 2 turnovers over the past two games! On his Conference's biggest stage, Levance has stepped up his game by distributing and protecting the basketball soundly. As Phil noted, his ability to continually break Louisville's press last night was textbook.
• Can enough be said about Gilbert Brown's performance last night? He came off the bench when Keith Benjamin got into some foul trouble and contributed 36 solid minutes and grabbed 8 rebounds. He was all over the place. Gotta love it when you get a surprise performance like that off the bench.
• Senior guard Ronald Ramon was not going to let this be the last game he ever played in the Garden. Back in his hometown of NYC, he played a team-high 42 minutes last night. 42 minutes! Ramon could always sink three-pointers as if they were free throws and he has shown that in the first two games of the Big East Tournament, going 7 of 13 beyond the arc.
• I need to mention that the vaunted Pitt defense is finally back! After playing suspect defense for the second half of the regular season, the Panthers have bounced back in a big way in the Big East Tournament. Pitt held Cincinatti to 64 points and a 39% shooting percentage on Wednesday, then followed that up with another strong performance Thursday night, holding Louisville to 69 points (in a game that went to overtime) and 38% from the field. Hopefully they can keep this up against a high scoring Marquette team.
• Again, much credit needs to be given to Jamie Dixon. Pitt has now won 16 of it's last 22 games in the Big East Tournament. He never let this team give up on the season. Who knows how Pitt will do against Marquette today, let alone in the NCAA Tournament. It almost doesn't matter because this Pitt team is one of the most likable Panther squads I've witnessed in years. They hustle and they seem to really enjoy playing together (something I didn't see all that much during the Carl Krauser or Aaron Gray years). I wouldn't put anything past Coach Dixon and this group of players. As the win against Louisville last night showed me, anything is possible with team. Go Pitt!

Phil's Running Diary of Pitt vs. Louisville

I was THRILLED to come home and find a pseudo running diary in my inbox, as my friend Phil e-mailed me throughout the second-half of the Pitt/Louisville Big East Conference Game last night. Pitt was victorious in overtime, 76-69. I didn't ask for Phil's permission yet, but I will now share with you his running diary of the great Pitt victory, as the Panthers have now reached 7 of the last 8 Big East Tournament semifinals. (anything in parenthesis is my two cents or editing) I love this blog.

• (8:34 pm - Pitt 47 Louisville 43) - i'm here at nd (Notre Dame) watching the pitt game. so i have easy access to internet. pitt's up four. it's the 12 minute media timeout and i decided i would e-mail you at this and the next two media timeouts. i'm so glad that we're in this game. i'm still not expecting a win, but it's great to see us competitive with a great louisville team. more later.
• (8:44 pm - Pitt 53 Louisville 48) - pitt's up five at the 7:55 mark. l o v e d that assist by fields to brown for the dunk. also still glad to see pitt with a lead but not expecting a win. i feel like it's been awhile (since) pitt has put together a complete performance and really utilized their talent. maybe this is the game?
• (8:58 pm - Louisville 60 Pitt 58) - pitt's down 2 with 2:30 to play. i can't complain about biggs and brown at all. they've given pitt some great minutes tonight. i've even come to like them. but can we please put benjamin and blair back in the game? again, i'm glad to just be in this position at all. let's hope that they can buckle down and come (up)with a big play or two to pull it out. my prediction? ramon for a lead-taking, and keeping, 3.
• (9:10 pm - Louisville 62 Pitt 62) - (headed into overtime) tie game, end regulation. damn. we had a chance. i don't like our chances in OT with blair in foul trouble. but hey, who knows. fields' shot still seems a bit off to me. i don't think i'll be able to stay up for the nd game now. go pitt!!
• (9:31 pm - FINAL: Pitt 76 Louisville 69 in overtime) - what a game. talk about grit in overtime. i love this team! they showed defense and determination tonight that i haven't seen in, like, the past 6 games that i've watched of theirs. young is finally playing some defense. we just have louisville's number in the big east tourney. i loved levance's ability to break the press. i only watched the second half, but i didn't see_any_ turnovers against the press (pitt had some turnovers, but not while they were being pressed, that i can recall). and as a small consolation, i picked this game! (in our Big East pool brackets) i hope you enjoyed this running commentary.

I absolutely did Phil, I absolutely did. Go Pitt!!!

BUTLER OVER CLEVELAND STATE!!! (I win the bet)

"Cleveland State is destined to win this (Horizon League) tournament", is what Phil said on March 9th, 2008, shortly after CSU's victory over Valpo. Simply put...Phil was wrong. Not only was Phil wrong, I was very very right. The Butler Bulldogs marched into the NCAA Tournament with a dominant effort last night, soundly defeating an under-matched and timid Cleveland State squad, 70-55. Butler won the Horizon League Championship game for the first time since 2001, giving the loyal fans at Hinkle Fieldhouse something to cheer about. Why anyone would have bet against Butler in this tournament is beyond me. Yes...having a black coach does make one's team that much stronger. And yes...one of Butler's 3 losses was to Cleveland State. But then again...Butler had three losses all season! They also have an RPI of 18 and have victories against Virginia Tech, Florida State, and Ohio State. A very strong pick by me. I have now officially won my first March Madness related bet. A cool 5 dollars of Phil's will soon becoming my way. Actually I'll probably just be using it to enter his NCAA pool, but the principle of me being victorious still remains. I'm very glad to have the gambling element of March Madness underway. Thank you Butler for earning me some untaxed income.

Conference Tournaments Starting March 11th

We have two Conference Tournaments beginning on Tuesday before a DELUGE of Tournaments get going on Wednesday. Some of the major Conferences begin their tourneys on Wednesday so I'm keeping this entry quick and brief (make your own joke), as I need to begin some serious research regarding the major conferences. As always, my predicted champion is in bold.

• Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) - Morgan State - We've come to another conference where I couldn't name more than two teams off the top of my head. I mean, I know these schools exists...I just didn't know they were all grouped together in this quaint conference. Although this may be a competitive conference, it's not exactly a good one. The MEAC ranks 30 of 32 in conference RPI, only ahead of the Southwestern Conference and the NCAA Independents (gulp). But luckily, to fill space, I have a personal story related to this conference and the NCAA Tournament. I was lucky enough to be in attendance, with my friends Phil, Matt, and Kevin, when #15 Coppin State upset #2 South Carolina in the 1997 tournament. At the time, this was the third occasion when a #15 seed defeated a #2 seed. To add to the fun of that historic upset, Coppin State, led by coach Ron "Fang" Mitchell (above) narrowly missed advancing to the sweet-sixteen two days later...losing to Texas by a point. I remember at the time I was fiercely rooting against Coppin State because they were messing up my brackets. But looking back, I was able to see something very rare and relatively historic (on a college basketball level that is). Louisville was in this group of games also, and I was able to make off with the 2-foot by 4-foot banner that simply says 'Louisville', which marked where the Louisville fan section was located. I loved swiping stuff like that. That is my MEAC related story. I can always say that I was at that game. Notable seeds: #1 Morgan State, #2 Hampton (who also won a Tournament game as a #15 seed, defeating Iowa State in 2001), #3 Norfolk State, #5 North Carolina A & T, #7 Coppin State

• Western Athletic Conference - Utah State - This entire conference comes down to Utah State and Nevada. I literally deliberated for 10 minutes and flipped a coin in an attempt to decide who I thought would win the conference title. Utah State and Nevada had identical conference records at 12-4, split their season series with each team winning at home, and both teams have an RPI in the 70's. I really don't know who to pick. Thankfully, I only have 13 more of these capsules to do. In the end...I'm going with the #1 seed Utah State. Not because I necessarily like Utah State, I'm actually kind of going against Nevada here. Nevada has had the WAC spotlight on them long enough, they screwed up in the Conference Tournament last year and cost a deserving team a bubble spot, and I really got tired of hearing how good Nick Fazekas was over the last couple NCAA Tournaments. Turns out Fazekas is pretty good, he made the NBA's Developmental League's All-Star Game, but didn't play. Let's talk a little about Utah State University, which is located in Logan, Utah. I will give Utah State a little credit...they have Jaycee Carroll, WAC Player of the Year and leads the nation in three-point shooting at 50.2 percent. Pretty darn good. Notable seeds: #1 Utah State, #2 Nevada, #3 New Mexico State, #4 Boise State, #5 Hawai'i

The Anti-Billy Packer Column

Billy Packer is a humorless, trouble-making curmudgeon. That pretty much sums it up right there. Packer loves to get involved in a story a little too much. He's been doing his shtick since the 1970's and believes that he has become an essential and beloved part of the college basketball landscape, when really, he's become an unoccupied, run-down, bankrupt Orange Julius store on that landscape...laughable, unessential, and way beyond it's time. This doesn't stop Billy Packer from his own unique type of journalism. Now there is "Gonzo" journalism, popularized by Hunter S. Thompson, where the writer essentially becomes part of the story as fact and fiction become blurred, style triumphs over content, and emotions provide context. I believe that there is now "Packer" journalism, popularized (or maybe epitomized) by the crabby Mr. packer himself. Packer journalism, which I fully expect to be taught at universities sometime soon, would include the following: presenting a dissenting opinion at any time (even after it has been proven wrong), mistaking being stubborn for being resolute - and coming back by being even more stubborn, learning how to make yourself the story - even and especially in the midst of a huge story, being old, having the inability to admit when one was wrong, & a 400-level course in not understanding the concept of irony. Here is a brief list of Mr. Billy Packer's past exploits:

• In 1996, Packer calls Allen Iverson a "tough monkey" during a Georgetown game. Packer did apologize and neither Iverson nor Georgetown head coach John Thompson said they were offended by the remark.
• Packer mocked the 1979 Indiana State team's credentials as they were given a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament. Um, that Indiana State team was led by a white guy from French Lick named Larry Bird and they went to the Championship game that year.
• In 2000, Packer had to apologize again...this time for making sexist comments before a game at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium. When students asked Billy to show them his press pass, Packer says: "Since when do we let women control who gets into a men's basketball game? Why don't you go find a women's game to let people into?"
• Much like his self-righteous bashing of Indiana State, Packer had problems with St. Joseph's #1 seed in 2004. (St. Joseph's went undefeated until their Conference Championship game that season and made it to the Elite Eight) This resulted in an on-air spat between Packer and St. Joseph's coach, Phil Martelli.
• Packer has this amazing ability to blast the inclusion of mid-major teams year after year, even after multiple mid-major teams make the sweet sixteen, or in the case of George Mason in 2006, make the final four.
• "Fagging Out" - enough said.

Now Billy Packer is not pure evil. He actually knows the sport of basketball rather well. And he's pretty good with the history of the game pre-1992. My point is that he's had his moment in the sun and it's time to move on and open the door for others.

I can't properly do an Anti-Billy Packer column, because the truth is that Bill Simmons already did it. Please check out his piece on The Curse of Billy Packer. If Bill Simmons ever comes across this blog and reads it...do I win a prize? Seriously though...his column on this is really on the ball and really well done.

Here it is Phil...the Anti-Billy Packer Column. I'd love to know your thoughts on the ageless announcer and instigator.

Valparaiso over Wright State!!!

I just wanted to keep everyone up to date on my first official March Madness bet. You may remember that I have a 5 dollar bet with my buddy Phil about who will win the Horizon League Tournament. Phil has chosen either Cleveland State or Wright State to become champs. I have Butler and/or Valparaiso winning it all.

Well it is my great pleasure to report to you that last night, Valparaiso defeated a soft Wright State team, 72-67 in the Horizon League Quarterfinals (you can read all about it here). Might I add that Valparaiso is the #6 seed and Wright State was somehow the #3 seed. What a strong upset pick by me. This isn't just good times people...it's GREAT TIMES! Now if Valpo can defeat #2 seed Cleveland State in the semifinals on Saturday, both of Phil's teams will be out of the Tournament and I'll have a very good possibility of both of my teams playing each other in the finals! (assuming that #1 seed Butler takes care of business and beats #4 UIC tomorrow) This is what March Madness is all about: making strong picks and humiliating your friends. I'm really feeling it this year. I believe that this strong bet and eventual victory will propel me into NCAA Tournament pool glory. Or at least, get me 5 of Phil's hard-earned dollars. Go Valparaiso!

First Official March Madness Bet

March Madness has officially started. Last night I made my first wager with regard to the NCAA Tournament and all of the wonder and glory that surrounds this event. The bet is between my friend Phil and I, and goes as follows:

The Stakes: 5 dollars

The Goal: Choose the Horizon Conference Champion

The Picks: Me - Butler or Valparaiso; Phil - Cleveland State or Wright State

Phil made the initial guarantee that Cleveland State would win the Horizon Conference Tournament (mainly on the strength of Cleveland State's black coach). I countered and said that there is no way that anyone else in the league wins this tourney other than Butler. Phil, being weak, wouldn't take a straight up 5 dollar bet of his Cleveland State versus my strong (lock) pick of Butler. I persisted with the wager...and he finally agreed to the bet on the condition that he could win the bet with EITHER Cleveland State or Wright State. And I agreed to his condition on the condition that I could have one other team. I then chose Valpo just to make things interesting. If any other team in the Horizon wins the Conference Championship (isn't going to happen), then the wager is a push and we get our 5 dollars back. The pot of 10 dollars is currently being held by Annie, Phil's lovely wife, who is kindly the keeper of the money until Butler wins the tournament and the cash is mine.

It's good to be making bets again. March Madness bets really get the blood flowing. I plan on betting early and betting often. Go Butler.

Games on: Tuesday, Feb. 19th

Not too much was on last night's slate, here's what I got:

• Indiana beat in-state rival Purdue, 77-68, at the Hoosier-Dome (or whatever the hell 'The Place That Bobby Knight Built' is called). This creates even more of a log-jam in the Big Ten with Indiana & Wisconsin at 11-2 and Purdue a game ahead at 12-2.
• Iowa is now 5-9 in conference, thanks to the fact that they beat previously winless-in-Big-Ten-play Northwestern last night, 53-51. The Wildcats are now 0-13 in conference play.
• Back to Indiana. Eric Gordon scored 22 to lead the Hoosiers against Purdue and continues on his course to be a one-and-done college stud. Part of this blog is to prepare you for stories you'll be hearing all March long until you're stick of them. I'm just giving you knowledge now so you'll be smarter and therefore sicker of these stories before everyone else. Eric Gordon initially signed with the University of Illinois. Now this never made much sense as Gordon is from Indianapolis. But it didn't have to make sense as as he later shunned Illilnois and decided to stay at home and play for the Hooisers. Broadcasters and bound to bring this stuff up in March, but it really doesn't matter much anyway because he'll be playing for the Knicks or Sonics next season. He's wicked good.
• Hoosiers coach Kelvin Sampson might have coached his last game at Indiana, as possible NCAA violations hang over his head, as well as over the head of Indiana's program. It's possible Sampson could be gone by the weekend. But it isn't beyond belief that he could coach the team until the end of the season. Just be aware that this crap is hanging over Sampson and the University of Indiana. And know that Sampson has ALREADY been busted for doing this shit while coaching the Oklahoma Sooners. This isn't a case of Sampson being confident he wouldn't get caught, or even a case of him being cocky, this is a simple case of stupidity. You'll hear these stories rehashed and rehashed all March, along with the rumor that Bobby Knight could come back to IU and coach them to glory! Not likely.
• UCONN got another bullshit win last night, beating DePaul, 65-60, in a game where DePaul lead by as many as 13 in the second half. I'm just pissed because a bunch of "top tier" Big East teams keep winning games they soooooooooo should have lost. And that just makes things harder for Pitt heading down the stretch. Hasheem Thabeet is the name you need to know when discussing UCONN. You'll hear about him throughout the Big East Tournament as well as the Big Dance.
• To give my friend Phil some props, Davidson defeated UNC Greensboro 75-66 last night to up their record to 20-6 overall, 18-0 in Southern Conference play. Everyone should already know Davidson's Stephen Curry (son of ex-NBA'er Dell Curry) from last season when he trailed only Kevin Durant in Freshman scoring and set a NCAA freshman record with 113 three-pointers. Davidson will be a popular (Dare I say, sexy?) first round upset pick no matter where they are seeded in the Big Dance. Be prepared for the hype around Curry and the Wildcats again.

It Begins...

I recently started reading Committed, a book by Mark St. Amant, in which the author essentially quits his job and uses the next 8 months of his life to immerse himself in the world of fantasy football, while trying to win the league title that has evaded him for so many years. As I desperately need something to do with my life right now, I'm using this book about pursuing a fantasy football title as my inspiration to enter upon an 8 week journey to obsess over the 2008 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament with the hopes of winning at LEAST one of the Tournament Pools that I will be entering. My intent is to document this experience in blog form, as I more intently follow college basketball through: the waning regular season, the always entertaining conference tournaments, selection sunday, and the NCAA Tournament itself. I've only put an hour of thought into this idea, but it seems stupid, engaging, and entertaining enough to sustain my enthusiasm beyond tonight.

Sitting down with a yellow legal pad in front of me, I joted down some of my intentions, hopes, and dreams with regard to this project which I'm naming - Conquering The 2008 NCAA Tournament:

• Blog about the entire experience, duh
• Keep a running diary of the first two days of the tournament (this is what I'm most excited about, and if I do nothing else with this project, I'm definitely doing this. the first two days of the NCAA Tournament are the best two sports days of the year, hands down)
• Follow every, and I mean EVERY, conference tournament
• Research the HELL out of the top 30-35 teams
• Obsess over the conference tournaments so much, that you con Phil into filling out conference tournament brackets with you
• Enter at LEAST 4 NCAA Tournament Pools (For pride, money, or both...but at least 4)
• Download podcasts that follow college basketeball
• Watch as much as whatever ESPN has to offer about college basketball
• Get stories, insights, and opinions about March Madness and NCAA Tournament pools from 5-10 friends
• Look into my own personal history with regard to the tourney - either with pools or personal attendance
• Try to gain insight as to why this thing is so huge on a national level
• Search online and in magazines for any interesting and/or relevant articles relating to this phenomenon
• Use humor whenever possible, make fun of players, coaches, broadcasters, analysists, etc.

So that's my idea de jour. I'm really liking it as of this moment, as I already immerse myself in the NCAA tournament to a ridiculous amount each march. The interest is already there, I'm just choosing to dive into the things that surround college basketball and the tournament even further. I don't have a great (or even good or average) track record with keeping up on things like blogs, let alone committing to many things in general, so we'll be taking this one day at a time. The only way I'll be able to do this well at all is to not worry about the writing in my posts. Normally, I'd worry and edit ad nauseum, trying to use the perfect words while trying to construct the perfect sentence. That's all horseshit. In order to do this project any justice, I'm going to pump out posts and not give a rip how poorly they are composed. I'll run a spellcheck here and there, but this project is going to be way more about process and quantity, opposed to content and quality. (Bob - please feel free to point out editing issues here and there) So please bear with me, all 6 of you, and we'll see what comes out of this.

Selection Sunday is a mere 25 days away.