04/23/24
March 11, 2004
March Madness: 64 things to love and 16 things to hate. I'm getting excited.
posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 12:21 PM - 16 comments
I'll get excited if Florida gets out of the first weekend. Otherwise...I'm just hoping for a good final 4.
posted by bcb2k2 at 12:58 PM on March 11, 2004
that brings back some memories. But 1. why no props for the 16 Greatest Games in the same feature? 2. Standford's on the cover of SI. I foresee a hideous team bus crash.
posted by gspm at 01:15 PM on March 11, 2004
66. St Joes losing in the A-10 Tourney.
posted by corpse at 01:18 PM on March 11, 2004
I think they should have included the 1999 UConn/Duke final as one of the greatest games. I think Duke was a big favorite in that game with Brand, Maggette, Avery, Langdon, and Battier. All five guys went in the first round of the NBA draft. But Rip Hamilon and Khalid El-Amin just kept making plays in a game that went down to the wire.
posted by Mike McD at 01:25 PM on March 11, 2004
1. why no props for the 16 Greatest Games in the same feature? Gah, I didn't even see it. I tend to mentally block out things that looks advertisy when I'm on sites like that. Obviously I'm getting pretty good at it. One of the things I love most about the tourney though is that I really don't have a favorite to rest my hopes on, so I can just sit back and watch some amazing, passionate basketball.
posted by Ufez Jones at 01:38 PM on March 11, 2004
My favorite: 37: Bo Kimble's lefthanded free throws in '90 in memory of deceased teammate Hank Gathers. This should be a great tournament. I don't see any dominant teams, despite St. Joe's and Stanfords incredible run. I think both are very susceptible to losing to someone like a Duke, Carolina, Illinois, Louisville, etc. etc.
posted by trox at 01:45 PM on March 11, 2004
posted by Ufez Jones at 01:56 PM on March 11, 2004
That first list of 64 makes me giddy. I'm going to miss the first weekend for the second year in a row, though, unfortunately. At least I'll get to see what should be an awesome ACC tournament. Mike McD: they also forgot the Houston/NC State national championship game, with the airball/slamdunk finish.
posted by tieguy at 04:05 PM on March 11, 2004
They only went back to 85'. That's why there's no Phi Slamma Jamma.
posted by Mike McD at 05:08 PM on March 11, 2004
Ufez, does that loss mean no top seed for St. Joe's?
posted by billsaysthis at 05:13 PM on March 11, 2004
52: ... as well as teams: Rupp's Runts, Phi Slamma Jamma, the Fab Five, the Three 'Meeks and the Flint-stones ... 47: ... and alley-oops (such as N.C. State's Dereck Whittenburg-to-Lorenzo Charles gem in '83; then again, that was actually an air ball. How about Bobby Hurley to Grant Hill in '91?) Did tieguy and Mike McD read the list? ;)
posted by scully at 05:14 PM on March 11, 2004
Ufez, does that loss mean no top seed for St. Joe's? I'd guess a lot of it depends on how the other top teams do in their conference tourneys, but more than likely, I'd say yes.
posted by Ufez Jones at 05:46 PM on March 11, 2004
I've been euphoric all day today. St. Joes losing, fantasy baseball draft tonight, living in Greensboro with the ACC tourney here, getting to yell at Pete Gillen in the Marriot today (okay, so I didn't yell, but I whispered loudly), TV on the Radio show tonight. I wish March was 60 days long. I'd say St. Joe's is out of the #1 as well, unless there are some major upsets in the conference tourneys. My number ones: Duke, Stanford, Kentucky, Oklahoma St.
posted by corpse at 06:00 PM on March 11, 2004
OSU's only going to make it if they can win the big XII tourney this weekend. I'll retract my earlier statement and definitely pull for them this year for two reasons. Both my parents went there and I really like the fact that one of the innocent Baylor (my alma mater) players has found a new place to play and be very successful (John Lucas).
posted by Ufez Jones at 06:41 PM on March 11, 2004
Go DAWGS!!! A first round victory over UCLA virtually assures the Huskies of an NCAA at-large berth. They still have a marginal RPI but I don't see how they can be denied now.
posted by vito90 at 08:19 AM on March 12, 2004
Best. Time. of. the. Year. And soon as it's all over, baseball!!