With but few exceptions, it is always the underdog who wins through sheer willpower. – Johnny Weissmuller
Midday Madness
This will have to be quick, minions, because my own little minion, Ashlyn Little, has a choir concert in about 30 minutes. I promise a more satisfying commentary later this evening. Nevertheless, the first seven games of this year’s tournament were just too crazy to go by without comment.
- 14 is the new 12 – The jury is still out on the 11s, but thus far the 14s are perfect. Both Georgia State and UAB beat their 3 seed opponents (Baylor and Iowa State) by a single point in heart-pounding fashion. UAB started the season by LOSING an exhibition game! Talk about a turnaround. After going 0-9 from three point range in the second half, Robert Brown makes a three point jumper to take the lead. Two more lead changes later, UAB escapes with the first stunning upset of the day. In equally stunning fashion, Georgia State beat the Baylor Bears when R.J. Hunter, the coach’s son, buried a Reggie Miller-esque three pointer with barely 2 seconds remaining. And speaking of coach’s sons…
- Favorite Sons – It was a good day to be a coach’s son. In addition to the aforementioned heroics of R.J. Hunter, UCLA coach Steve Alford’s son, Bryce Alford, made 9 of 11 three pointers to stun SMU in another game decided by just one point. The most important of those 3s was also the most bizarre, a desperation shot that was clearly not going in but was counted on one of the strangest goaltending calls I have ever witnessed. Either that was the worst call of the tournament so far, or it was the Boneheaded Play of the Day on SMU’s Yanick Moreira. No actually, that’s not true.
- The Boneheaded Play of the Day award goes to a different SMU player, Cannen Cunnigham, who threw the ball to absolutely no one with his team up 2 and 25 seconds to play. It was on the ensuing possession that Bryce Alford was given the goaltended, game-winning three pointer. Unbelievable. And speaking of unbelievable…
- Lightning Strikes Twice – As if three of the first seven games being decided by a single point wasn’t enough, two of them ended with precisely the same score: 60-59. March. Madness. Baby.
Early Awards
Awards? You want some awards? Try these on for size.
- The 7-Up award, sponsored by the un-cola, goes to Nicole Chappell, who is an unbelievable 7-0 so far.
- The Ancient Chinese Secret award, sponsored by Calgon, goes to Avery “I have a wiggly tooth” Richardson. Well of course! The secret to perfect prognostication is loose teeth! I should have had someone punch me square in the mouth before I made my picks. (No volunteers, please.)
- The That’s Not How This Game Works award definitely goes to me, The Wizard of Whiteland, for managing to pick all three 6-11 games exactly backwards. My picks: Texas, Ole Miss, SMU. Actual winners: Butler, Xavier, UCLA. Apparently 6 is the new 3.
- The I Need To Borrow Your Algorithm award goes to Trevis “I don’t let x equal nothing!” Litherland, whose secret formula managed to get both 14-over-3 games right.
- The You Should Have Stuck With The OLD System award goes to Bill “Trying a new system” Spyksma, currently in the logjam that is next-to-last place. Still a lot of games left, Bill.
With that, all of the parents who were sitting here in the school cafeteria with me have moved to the gym, which must mean the concert is about to start. I suppose I should get moving as well. More to come this evening, minions!
The Wizard of Whiteland