Here's Why I Love College Basketball, Part II

Elon 52, Furman 37
Elon 60, Chattanooga 57
Elon 75, College of Charleston 61

We go to Charleston, South Carolina for the Southern Conference tournament and my school Elon University, the tournaments 7th seed is playing for an NCAA Division I tournament bid tonight against Davidson (ESPN2, 9:00 PM). This is Elon's first tournament title game appearance since joining the Southern Conference in 2003. Elon finished the regular season 11-18. Not too impressive obviously but some of their losses came against (all on the road) Virginia Tech, Georgia, Virginia Commonwealth and Virginia. In the past, Elon has also gone against Georgetown, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, N.C. State and Stanford. They're trying to build a decent NCAA Division I program and while these losses to bigger schools may hurt the overall record, they go a long way to prepare the team for conference and tournament play. Plus games like these are excellent for recruiting.

Years...ok make that two and a half decades (!) ago when I was at Elon, me and my amigos used to watch the NCAA tournament selection show over a few beers and wonder out loud how cool would it be to see Elon's name picked one day. We all laughed of course because back then Elon was a member of the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) and was a doormat in the South Atlantic Conference. Over the years since I was there, the school has gotten bigger and made the jump to NCAA play (The Elon football team is currently NCAA Division I-AA). Should Elon make it in, I've got a few phone numbers of my friends and will call these guys to be sure to remind them to catch the selection show.

So the reward for winning three games in three days, Elon gets the #25 ranked team in the nation in Davidson. Beat them and they are in the NCAA tournament. It obviously won't be easy as Davidson owns the NCAA's (Division I) longest winning streak at 21 and has won their last 35 Southern Conference games. Elon played them tough this season though, losing 59-57 at home January 9 and 74-64 at Davidson on February 6. Both times Davidson was a heavy favorite. Ask any basketball coach and they will say one of the toughest things to do is beat a team three times in one year.

Elon-College of Charleston recap

Before the Elon-Davidson game, ESPN is showing the Colonial Athletic Association final. Weena's school, George Mason goes against William & Mary. William & Mary has also won three CAA tournament games in a row and is trying to do what Elon is trying to do. Win four conference tournament games and go to the NCAA tournament. This is what I love about conference tournament basketball, everyone has a chance. "Just survive and advance" is what the late N.C. State basketball coach Jim Valvano used to say.

Here Is Why I Love College Basketball

Take a look at the Patriot League Quarterfinal scores from tonight. Great, great action here. The Patriot League Tournament is held on the campus sites, unlike the big conferences where they take over a city for their weekend tournament.

Colgate 76
Lafayette 74

Final-3 OT
Bucknell 87
Navy 86

American 62
Holy Cross 60

Final-OT
Army 64
Lehigh 61

Semifinals, Sunday March 9th
Army at American University
Bucknell at Colgate

Final game is Friday March 14 and it is at the highest remaining seed. Why so late after the Semifinals? Answer: ESPN. This must kill whatever momentum a team builds up by winning its Quarterfinal tonight, waiting four days for their Semifinal and then another five days for the championship game. However, the ESPN exposure is too great, these schools need it and they'll do what they have to do to get the television time. Personally, I hope American University gets their first NCAA tournament bid. They showed me a lot of heart and guts when they came into Comcast Center and stomped Maryland last December.

Game Recap: Navy vs Bucknell

Game Recap: American vs Holy Cross

The Nationals New Ball Yard

Today was a big day for Nationals fans. First, they installed the big video screen and moved home plate from RFK Stadium to the new ball park.




More pictures here.

Second, single game tickets went on sale this morning at 9:00 AM. Your's truly was in what was called a "virtual waiting room" for thirty seven minutes as people all over town were trying to get tickets to Nationals Park March 30th opening night vs the Atlanta Braves.

All I wanted were some Sunday afternoon games and when I finally was able to purchase tickets, I got a pair to see the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 4, three to see the Baltimore Orioles on June 29th and three to see the Cincinnati Reds on August 3. I plan to take Weena and Benjamin to both the Orioles and Reds games. This will be Benjamin's baseball debut and definitely another Proud Dad moment in my life as nothing beats a father, his son and a baseball game.

An Epic Collapse

Clemson 73, Maryland 70

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Nope, someone already used that opening line. I could just direct everyone to my recap after the Wake Forest football collapse this past Fall and just be done with it. No, this is the basketball version of that collapse and I must vent.

The Maryland Terrapins had a 20 point lead at home against Clemson. It was Senior Day, the crowd was fired up. There were eleven minutes left in the game. They were dominating. They lost. Clemson roared back to a 73-70 win after Terrence Oglesby hit a three pointer with 2.3 seconds remaining. Game over. The Terps are now 18-12 (8-7 in the ACC) and an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament seems unlikely with just an away game at Virginia and the ACC tournament left.

This was worse than the famous Gone in :54 game vs Duke in January 2001 where the Terps blew a ten point lead at Cole Field House. Back then though, they rebounded and made it to the Final Four, where they collapsed again against Duke (blowing a 22 point first half lead then). That 2001 Final Four loss was the worst and the most painful Terp game moment for me. However, that collapse was used as a great motivator to the national title in 2002.

This loss to Clemson was inexcusable. Don't get me wrong, they are not a bad team at all. They are in third place in the ACC but you're up 20 at home, its senior day and you're playing for your post season. It was just sad watching it all unravel. They had that game won. They had their post season ticket to the NCAA tourney pretty much sealed up. But no.

Win at UVA and win a couple of ACC tourney games? Maybe that gets them in but the last time they won back to back games in the ACC tournament was 2004 when they won it all. Strange things happen in March though. Ask Michigan State, UNC, Wichita State and Connecticut about George Mason in 2006. Gather up some Georgetown alum and ask them about the 1985 Villanova Wildcats. I'm sure Houston Cougar fans cringe at the mention of Lorenzo Charles and that 1983 North Carolina State team.

Since this season has been and up and down like a yo-yo(Losses at home to American and Ohio, wins on the road against #1 North Carolina and Wake Forest), now part of me thinks the Terps will rebound and make it and another part of me thinks they will be in Fairfax VA facing George Mason in first round NIT action. And yes, if that happens I will be there. It's in my back yard, I support the athletes with my membership in the Terrapin Club and this Terp lifer can't turn my back on these guys.

Gary Williams said after the game that he'll remember the 73-70 loss to the Tigers for a long time, just as he'll remember the big wins. Us fans will too Gary. But there is still time to get it right and make the NCAA's. You know what you have to do. Can they rebound? I think so as they have a week to prepare. Stay tuned.

Goodbye February

It's always been a depressing month for me. I can't put my finger on why it is. Perhaps it's usually the month I get hit with a nasty cold. I thought I was going to get through this month without getting sick until I started feeling ill on Thursday and had to leave work early. Sure enough, my temperature hit 102 Thursday night and I had the chills and I was sick enough where I stayed home Friday. The fever finally broke yesterday evening and I'm still feeling weak but hopefully in a couple days I'll be at full strength.

While resting in bed I got to watch the first two rounds of the PGA's Honda Classic, an exhibition baseball game between the Dodgers and Braves and a few soccer games off GOL TV.

Not wanting to get Weena sick, Benjamin slept in our bed and I went into Benjamin's room to sleep. I brought my transistor radio and would go up and down the dials looking for hockey or basketball games or sports talk radio. I used to do this as a kid each night with my Panasonic Tech 1000 so it brought back memories. Keep in mind when I was a kid, we didn't have the internet, ESPN and sports access 24/7 and the only way to get news, talk or other teams ball games was radio.

So February is history and March is here. March gives us tons of NCAA hoops action, exhibition baseball and hopefully warmer weather for Easter, which is March 23rd this year. The Nationals new ballpark opens March 29th for an exhibition with the Orioles and D.C. United opens MLS play on March 29th.