So it's 1:30 in the afternoon, Thursday, March 9th, and I've just left work early, as I will tomorrow and Thursday and Friday of next week, to happily indulge in some sports gluttony. Hooray! It's March Madness time!
Nothing compares to the first two rounds of the NCAA tourney. That long weekend is regarded as ethereal from sea to shining sea. But not to be overlooked are the conference tourneys, and today is the first day where the action really goes around the clock on many different channels. So I'm flipping through the half dozen or so games going on and keeping track of my thoughts here.
Earlier this morning, when I was still at work, a co-worker asked me if I thought Syracuse had a chance today against UConn. I replied that they are not nearly as talented, but they are a legendary program with a legendary coach, and anything can happen in the conference tourneys. So ... maybe.
1:37 PM — How I wish now I hadn't been so ambivalent and said yes, the 'Cuse is gonna pull off the monster upset! As of now, midway through the second half, they are up by six. I think this will have to be my "main" game, until my hometown University of Akron team takes the floor sometime after two (coming from a mid-major conference and as it's only the quarterfinals, I get to pay $10 bucks to watch the Zips play their game on the Internets).
1:40 PM — Now Syracuse leads by 10 with 10:40 to go. They're playing with a lot of confidence, very loose. I don't see them fumbling this away. It'd be the second straight year that the eight-seed beat the top seed in the Big East Conference quarterfinals (last year, it was West Virginia beating Boston College). Raise your hand if you remember that B.C. won the Big East regular season last year. Yep. Me either.
1:43 PM — Syracuse guard Eric Devendorf, a product of the famed Oak Hill Academy, is the Eminem of the Big East. If you don't understand that, look at him the next time you see 'Cuse play.
1:45 PM — Temple has A-10 top seed George Washington in a similar predicament as UConn. Temple's up by 12 with nine minutes to go.
1:49 PM — We have our first final of the day: Penn State easily beats Northwestern in the Big 10 first round and will take on Ohio State in the quarters. It's the first Big 10 tournament victory for the Nittanies in five years.
1:51 PM — Oooh ... UConn's pulled to within four with five and a half minutes and is going to the free throw line now to boot. But I can't keep it here because another game is even closer with less time left (even though UConn sunk both free throws). That would be...
1:53 PM — Miami vs Clemson in ACC first round action. Winner gets Duke tomorrow. Clemson is up by two with 2:45 to go.
1:54 PM — So if you get four offensive rebounds in one trip, as Clemson just did, and don't convert on any of them until finally you are fouled and sent to the free-throw line, do we credit you for getting the big offensive boards or do we debit you for not converting? I guess the former because Clemson sinks both free throws.
1:56 PM — 1:46 to play now, and Miami's cut it to one with a three-pointer ... getting good, especially now that the Hurricanes are getting the ball back after Clemson couldn't convert their latest free throw attempts...
1:57 PM — ...and then Miami kicks the ball out of bounds and gives it back to the Tigers.
1:59 PM — Denis Clemente, who made the three-pointer on my 1:56 PM note, makes another one and gives Miami their first lead since "early in the first half." Good stuff. Forty-seven seconds left.
2:02 PM — Miami's Guillermo Diaz has the highest arching free throw shot I've seen, but he sinks them both and now the 'Canes are up by two possessions with 32.2 seconds left.
2:03 PM — When this game is over (Clemson has cut it back to two, timeout), I won't be able to get back to Syracuse/UConn fast enough. It's tied now with 1:43 left. Temple continues to handle G-Dub.
2:06 PM — Clemson's down by three with 12 seconds left and at the line. First free throw is good. Does he miss the second on purpose? Looks like he did, but Miami gets the rebound anyway. If Anthony King makes both free throws for Miami and makes it a two-possession game again, I'm turning it straight back to Syracuse/UConn. He misses the first one. Makes the second one ... can Clemson get the three to tie? No! Got a good look, but they miss it. Miami wins, 66-63.
2:09 PM — Damn, I missed a lot. 11.2 seconds left and UConn leads by three. Syracuse ball, timeout.
2:09 PM — If Akron wins their quarterfinal matchup, they will have the misfortune of drawing the hottest team in the Mid-American Conference, Toledo, who just beat Northern Illinois by one. Must have been quite a game: The box score says Toledo outscored NIU by 16 in the first half and got outscored by 15 in the second half. That was a seven-seed beating a two-seed.
2:10 PM — Gerry McNamara for three to tie for Syracuse ... good! UConn has 5.5 seconds to score (thank God for the pause button on my TV) ... no! Who's ready for some overtime?
2:14 PM — Temple has completed their dispersal of George Washington, 68-53.
2:23 PM — The Huskies, whom for most of the extra session can't hit the ocean from the beach, finally knocks down a three to pull to within two of Syracuse with 28 seconds left.
2:24 PM — During a timeout, I see that Texas Tech is leading Kansas State by four with 1:30 remaining. So I have my next TV destination lined up now. Go K-State! Get out from under the Jayhawks' shadow! Plus, I hate Bobby Knight.
2:27 PM — UConn ably fouls a 51% free throw shooter (Darryl Watkins), but he grittily sinks both to put Syracuse back up by two possessions.
2:28 PM — Wow! What a sequence! Devendorf steals the inbounds, misses the wide-open layup, UConn rebounds, hits the three to make it 85-84, and then commits the quick foul on the inbounds. Jim Boeheim reams Devendorf for shooting the ball instead of eating it with time running out.
2:29 PM — McNamara, a 90% free throw shooter, misses his second free throw so UConn can now play for the win if they want. Fifteen seconds left.
2:30 PM — They miss, but will get the ball back after the scramble for the rebound results in a held ball call. The possession arrow favors UConn. They will inbound with 5.6 seconds left.
2:32 PM — They miss again. Syracuse wins.
2:33 PM — I call the co-worker I mentioned at the top to ask him if I get credit for calling this upset.
2:34 PM — I don't.
2:35 PM — Texas Tech now leads Kansas State 69-63 with 25.8 seconds left.
2:37 PM — Texas Tech wins.
2:38 PM — I have enough material to call this an official column, and file it. I could and would write this all day, but since I'm paying $10 bucks to watch dear old Akron, I might as well watch it without distractions.
I do love my readers ... but I love college hoops more.
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