The road doesn’t end with a Korie Lucious 3-pointer. The journey is only beginning when Ali Farokhmanesh calmly knocks down the three biggest shots in Northern Iowa history. The wheels are just starting to spin as Chris Kramer drops a gorgeous, scooping layup.
With every Omar Samhan post move, with each shining moment – all of them, not just one – another train left the station. We moved on.
So you think you’ve got onions just because Bill Raftery says so?
The funny thing about March Madness is that it’s what happens in April that matters most. This isn’t an attempt to short Cornell, St. Mary’s or Northern Iowa – or even Kentucky, Duke and Syracuse, who pulled off what a fourth top seed could not by making the Sweet 16. It’s a wakeup call. It’s a reminder that, in this crazy year, those upstarts shouldn’t be shorting themselves.
These are the players heading to the Sweet 16 with Final Four experience: a Kalin Lucas-less group of Michigan State returnees and Ohio State’s David Lighty. That’s it.
We’re looking at one of the most wide-open title races in recent memory. We’re looking at a series of flawed teams, as previously discussed in this column. There isn’t a team that has made it this far that can’t make it just a few steps further.
The lack of experience at the highest level means each of these teams will be tested in new ways. The pressure is greater. The microscope is more focused. A bunch of 19-year-olds at Kentucky have taken the tag of “favorite.” Duke hasn’t done anything in five years at this round. Same for Syracuse.
We’re not going to see a Final Four of 12th-seeded Cornell, 10th-seeded St. Mary’s, ninth-seeded Northern Iowa and sixth-seeded Xavier. But there’s no tangible reason at this point to count any one of those teams out.
There’s no formula to predicting upsets. There’s no fail-proof method to finding a champion. Those who think they’ve got the answers probably had Siena and Kansas in this round.
The first weekend of the 2010 NCAA Tournament will go down as a blur. A wonderful, always-entertaining blur. Day 1 might have been the best single-day of NCAA Tournament play in my memory. Quincy Pondexter twisted past Jimmy Butler, and no one even noticed. Jimmer Fredette outpaced the field and was topped for drama by the next game to finish. Remember Robert Morris?
I have no good explanation for how we got here. This I can tell you: There’s a hefty group of senior stars still hanging around. But Michigan State wouldn’t have topped Maryland if senior stars were the lone recipe for success. Texas A&M would be a prohibitive favorite.
There’s great frontcourt stars, such as Pondexter, Samhan and Tennessee’s Wayne Chism. There’s great guardplay – Kansas State’s Jacob Pullen has put on a show, along with that John Wall guy and that Evan Turner.
There’s even guys who don’t actually seem good. Kramer and Farokhmanesh have no NBA futures. Did Ronald Nored just win Butler a game? You need those guys. Well, unless you don’t.
We’re in a bit of an awkward year. It hasn’t always been fun. But we’ve got the best NCAA Tournament in recent memory coming to us. People love to talk about Cinderellas, but this year has produced knights in shining armor.
My favorite moment so far has to be Mickey McConnell’s 3-pointer with 1:16 left to give St. Mary’s a 68-65 lead against Villanova. His underdog team was tied with a Wildcats bunch that had made the Final Four just last year. Didn’t matter. The junior guard, generously listed as a 6-footer, heaved up the clumsiest brick of the day, a sky-scraping 25-footer off the bounce.
It didn’t swish. It banked high off the backboard. It didn’t matter.
Mickey McConnell just gave the finger to everything you thought you knew about basketball.
Let’s hope he keeps it raised.
Thank you very much for this
Thank you very much for this information. Good post thanks for sharing. I like this site ;)——–
Juicy clothes
Buy full line
Juicy clothes
Buy full line Juicy couture products from our site at a low price to make yourself a fashionista! Dress juicy couture clothing, holding juicy couture
Shop prom dresses, formal dresses, prom shoes, 2010 designer prom gowns at dres4sale.
for cocktail dresses, dresses for prom, homecoming dresses, and evening dresses. Cheap prom dresses or couture designer evening gowns for your next formal.
evening dresses
Evening Dresses. Women’s Formal & Special Occasion Dresses … Welcome to Cheap Evening Dresses for Sale! … Buy Cheap Evening Dresses Sales & Accessories
prom dresses