Cinderella's going to the Ball, but I believe Duke will win on Monday

OK - so I went .500 last night.  I was probably the only person (i.e. aside from Magic Johnson, the actual Michigan State coaches, players, staff, and entire state of Michigan) who wanted the Spartans to win.  In the final seconds of the game, I think I actually jinxed them by calling my brother during a commercial break.  I called to ask him to score me a ticket to the finals if Michigan State won, because I'd fly to Indianapolis for a Michigan State v Duke final.  I was going to use Monday night as my chance to finally meet Magic Johnson.  How did I intend to do that?  Not sure really, but trust me ~ I'd find a way to get a quick picture.  With the game down to wire and Butler's players doing their best Charles Smith impressions (i.e. Knicks fans, you know what I'm talking about), I EAGERLY ANTICIPATED that Michigan State would drive the lane STRONGLY and score 2 points and win.  I figured there'd be a firesale of tickets if Butler had lost and I could benefit from the heartache and disgust of all the townies who supported their home team.  Instead, I watched the Spartan end his drive a little early and pull up too soon for a shot.  It looked like he was trying to draw contact, but SHOULD'VE taken another step or two and been more aggressive.  Oh well... 

**** Incidentally, I just checked my Twitter account and according to SethDavisHoops:  I asked Gordon Hayward if he fouled Draymond Green on that last play: "Dude I got his whole hand." Oh well X 2.

"I couldn't care less anymore" was the text I sent my brother when Butler beat Michigan State 52-50.  I figured Magic would hop the first plane back to the West coast, and I wasn't about to haul myself back to Indianapolis to see a Butler v Duke final.

Yes, I anticipated Duke would win on Saturday night.  It was a "given" in my book.  I took in the games at a friend's house and I was the only person rooting for Michigan State and Duke the entire night.  That's fine.  I'm strong in my convictions.

For the 2nd half of the game, we left my friend's house and I casually watched the game on the TV at our local hang out spot.  I didn't see Butler's collision with Zoubek.  I did see Butler on the court in severe pain and Coach Huggins trying to console him.  I saw the image on TV (i.e. without the sound and tried to keep up with the captioning) and immediately was taken aback by how close Huggins' face was to Butler.  Yeah, I said it.  You have to admit it looked creepy.  I read this morning that it was Butler's knee that was injured.  I hope he's alright ~ you never want to see anyone get hurt...  BUT that's sports and the show will go on.

Lastly, I checked my email about an hour ago and my brother informed me that he met and had his picture taken with Rollie Massimino yesterday.  Seriously?!?!  Does he not know me at all?  Now I'm all riled up again about 1985.  What a kick in the face!  Looks like it's time to light another candle for Ewing at my 1985 Georgetown shrine...  Serenity now.

As Dorothy, said "There's no place like home."  So, go ahead, Cinderella, enjoy the ball...  BUT, I still predict Duke will win on Monday.


THE WIRK

Georgetown will win the Big East tourney, and a trip to The Garden triggers so many memories...

So I'm back from The Garden, and I'm exhausted.  Here you go:

Game 1:  (22) Georgetown v Marquette

• The Hoyas are tough.  They will beat WVU in the Big East final.  I saw them play against Duke earlier this year at the Verizon Center and they dominated.  Tonight, they crushed Marquette.  The Georgetown Hoyas are for real (i.e. if they continue to play with intensity and maintain their focus).

I missed the opening tip-off, because I was negotiating...

At The Garden and in NYC space is limited, so student sections are smaller

.

Marquette kept it close in the 1st half. 

Check out the Hoyas' shooting percentages.  Wow!

• This year is the 25th anniversary of Villanova beating Georgetown in 1985.  That game changed my life.  I watched it while at Snowshoe, West Virginia.  We were at our condo for a ski trip, and my father had sent my brother and I to bed.  However, I couldn't help but peek through the curtain and watch the TV from my bunk bed.  My dad must've heard me screaming in vain for Ewing and the Hoyas to pull off a victory, because he let me watch the end of the game with him.  We all know how it ended.  It was not pretty.
• Rollie Massimino was at The Garden tonight.  I'm sure he's a good man.  However, I cannot allow myself to root for Villanova.  Actually, I would never go to Cleveland State to watch a basketball game when he coached there. 

It's been 25 years and it still hurts...

• Coach Massimino's strategy to slow down the offense worked in 1985, and he broke my Hoya-loving heart.  Seeing him tonight, brough it all back.  I'm not alone.  The minute he was shown on the screen, all the Georgetown fans around me started groaning and all you could hear was, "85"...  It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times ~ depending on who you were rooting for.  Regardless, people remember it. 
• Georgetown v Villanova is one of the basketball equivalents for questions like, "Where were you when you learned that Kennedy was shot?"  OR "Where were you when OJ was in the police car chase?"  You get my point.  Ugh... 

Game 2:  Notre Dame v (6) West Virginia University

• WVU is good, but there's something missing.  It seemed like such a slow game against Notre Dame, but WVU hit a few 3s to resurrect the memory of Kevin Pittsnogle in my brain. 
• Yes, I said - Pittsnogle...  Don't question my basketball knowledge/memory.  I'm fierce.  Plus, can anyone forget when WVU upset Wake Forest in 2005?  I can't.  It was INCREDIBLE.  I was in NYC, at my brother's apartment.  Do you know where that game was played?  It was played at Cleveland State.  I remember the day like it was yesterday.  Like I said, don't question my basketball knowledge/memory.
• I don't know if WVU is young ~ but they play young and seem to make mistakes.  This was my first time watching them, and I saw guys that thought they had their bunny shots/lay-ups made, so they finished sloppily and/or missed.
• Yuck...  Missed bunny shots make me think of only one person.  The New York Knicks' Charles Smith.  He missed 4 lay-up/bunny shots at The Garden, when the Knicks had a chance to take a 3-2 lead in the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals ...  Ugh ~ I don't want to type about it.  The memories give me heartburn...  I actually met Charles briefly earlier this year at NBA All-Star Weekend in Dallas.  I congratulated him on a great career.  It was the humane thing to do.
• There were moments during the game when I thought Coach Huggins' head was going to explode.  When one of the WVU players should've dunked, but instead went for a lay-up and missed, I instinctively "ducked and covered" (i.e. as if I were at a Gallagher show and he was about to crush a watermelon with that carnival hammer).  Honestly, I would've bet cash money that Huggins' head would burst and the game would have to be called.  I bet people, who were watching at home, started trying to adjust the color settings on their TVs.  It's not right for someone's face to turn that red.  That player is lucky that WVU won.
• Huggins' casual attire reminds me of Coach Belichick's hoody.  Random, but not really...
• I never really paid atttention to the Mountaineers until tonight, but there was no way to miss the fact that that they play(ed) a 1:3:1 defense.  I wonder...  When I was in junior high, we learned how to play man to man, and zone..  We learned and played against both 1:3:1 and 2:3. 

1:3:1 defense

• If my junior high coach had 3 months with Tracy McGrady, T-Mac would've never been clueless against a zone (i.e. preventing all the embarrassment about his playing slump and Doc River's coaching skills,when they were both in Orlando).  Just saying...
• 2:3 zone defense will always be one of the things I associate with Syracuse.  Who beat Syracuse earlier this week?  Yes, Georgetown did.
• FYI ~ Syracuse is also the real deal.  If I had to guess right now who'd go farther in tourney when March Madness really begins, tonight I'd pick Syracuse.  However, ask me again after Selection Sunday, and I take a look at the brackets.

Miscellaneous observations:

• I love to people watch and watching old drunk men yell at each other after/during games makes me laugh.  They look foolish, but they can't seem to help themselves.  After the doubleheader two, 50ish silver foxes were yelling and getting into each other's faces on the courses.  Who knows what got their Wranglers in a bunch?  But, leave it to some college kid to yell, "Kick his a**, Sea Bass!"  I literally laughed out loud.
• I only heard "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor, ONCE!!!  Yeah!!! 
• If you don't understand the reason for this bullet, then you're not reading this blog regularly.  Keep in mind, that you're only hurting yourself :-P
• Over by the media tables, there are TVs.  People can change the channel on these TVs.  I kid you not.  Someone preferred to watch Talladega Nights as opposed to part of the 2nd game.  Does that tell you anything?

That's not a NASCAR driver, that's Will Ferrell

On to the next episode in the morning, so that's all for now...



And if you're not geared up for March Madness, here you go!



THE WIRK