I Learned Something Today

This blog brought to you by the Timeout. The Timeout, for all the times someone drives uncontested for a layup to give their team a 2-point lead with .9 seconds left and you kind of want to set up a play to try and win it instead of heaving a one-handed 75-foot bomb the length of the court at the buzzer. The Timeout can be found any time a referee actually looks at you or hears you ask (also available at Piggly-Wiggly and Sam's Club--also comes in the Chris Webber technical size).

What did we learn this weekend?

1). Arizona is the lone double-digit seed in the Sweet 16--Is Cinderella dead?

Nope, just sleeping. Did everyone forget that two former Cinderellas, Xavier and Gonzaga, are in the Sweet 16? But since they have established major programs in the past five years, they are no longer considered the underdog. Much like it was inevitable that all #1 seeds would make the Final Four, it's inevitable that an underdog doesn't make the Sweet 16. You can't count Arizona because, much like Kentucky missing this year's Dance after 17 straight years, the "other" Wildcats are a failing program who will not even guarantee the current "interim" coach a permanent spot. This last hurrah is all part of the script. Besides, despite the lack of upsets, there were some pretty damn good games in the first two rounds, albeit ending in favor of the favorites. And Cleveland State, who only made the tournament by upsetting Butler in the championship of the Horizon League tournament beat West Virginia handily in the first round. Cinderella lives--she's just waiting until next year.

2). #1 seeds look shaky in opening round--a sign of vulnerability?

Normally, I would say no. Typically the #1's get bored pretty easily playing the dregs of the mid-majors and that coupled with a super size effort from a team with a lot of heart and nothing to lose makes for an interesting time in the first round. But Pittsburgh looked shaky against East Tennessee State right after losing early in the Big East tournament to the same West Virginia team who was upended by the ever dangerous Dayton Flyers in the first round of the tournament. Even though Oklahoma State "gave them a scare" in the second round, Okie State hasn't exactly set the world on fire this year. Forget their Big 12 tourney win against Oklahoma. Florida State beat North Carolina in the ACC tournament and that meant nothing when faced with the menacing Badgers from Wisconsin. The moral of the story? Pittsburgh goes down to Xavier on Thursday.

3). Duke and North Carolina make it to the Sweet 16. Again. Yaawwwnnnn!

And Villanova and Gonzaga await. At least one of the ESPN love children will fall in the Sweet 16. Let's pray to the gypsy piss hex god that it's both.

4). Raap Elleinad is in third after two rounds of the pool.

Let the suicide watch commence!

5). Timeout? What timeout?

By now, everyone knows the story. Gonzaga scores an uncontested layup with .9 seconds left on Saturday night, the coach and at least one player from Western Kentucky called for a timeout but the Hilltoppers inbounded the ball anyway and the 75-foot prayer was off the mark. Did Western Kentucky get screwed by the refs on Saturday night? Who cares? What that less than a second solidified was the undisciplined play that WK has shown in the tournament the last two years. In a last second OT win against Drake last year, WK won with a hail mary 3 off a last second inbound but had blown a 16-point lead late in the game that led to OT. In their win against Illinois in the first round, again with game in hand late, they blew a 15-point lead with 3:27 left and held on for the 4-point win. Yes, this is a sign of resiliency that they could hang on after blowing leads in the NCAA tournament. But undisciplined teams are most vulnerable to blowing these leads--and undisciplined teams do not think about leaving the basketball on the end line in the last second of the game to give their coach a chance to call the timeout.

Unless they're really, really good at 75-foot jumpers.

Peace,

Reg